I’m and avid sc-fi/fantasy reader and I’ve never been able to get past chapter 1 of wheel of time. Tried many times.
I think Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle did some great books together and solo, and I loved the Pliocene Exile series by Julian May. H. Piper, Philip K. Dick, Harry Turtledove, Roger Zelany, Poul Anderson,
There were so many one or two hit wonders in the 70’s and 80’s that’s it’s hard to remember. I think Historical/SCI-FI, Historical/Fantasy, Alternate history and the space military type genres where born in the 70’s and 80’s.
Tolkien, Frank Herbert, and Asimov are all gimmies and should be 3 out of anybody’s top 10 list.
Arther C. Clark is another gimmie. Robert Heinline is a gimmie for some, but not so much for others.
L.Ron Hubbard’s writing has improved since he went to the big Engram in the sky. Battlefield Earth Book 1 was so bad I couldn’t put it down. It was like watching a train wreck but with words.
My wife says the EXACT same thing. I’ve read and re-read them dozens of times.
I never read Battlefield Earth. The Mission Earth series was so captivating I read each book in one sitting.