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Yeah, LeGuin is one of the highest profile authors in two different genres, and Left Hand of Darkness is seen by many as a classic irrespective of genre. I don't know how high she's landed on the NYTimes list, but even if she's never seen the top ten (I suspect she has, probably with Earthsea), she's certainly transcended the midlist by general acclaim.
Modesitt was the first name that came to mind for me. Jim Butcher fought his way up from the midlist. Kevin Hearne, author of the somewhat Dresden-derivative Iron Druid series, is at best midlist. Is Dan Simmons midlist? Hyperion gets recommended a lot, and I think Drood may have sold well, but his body of work overall has that "got bills to pay" feel.
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