With that caveat that it is difficult to rank a definitive big nine list of science fiction writers (in English), here is my list:
- Isaac Asimov: Some of his most popular and best-selling books include the Foundation series, the Robot series, and the Empire series.
- Arthur C. Clarke: His most famous is probably 2001: A Space Odyssey. Other best-sellers include Childhood’s End, Rendezvous with Rama, and The City and the Stars.
- Orson Scott Card: Probably best know for Ender’s Game, he gas written many other popular and best-selling books, including Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind.
- H.G. Wells: His most famous would be The War of the Worlds. Other well known titles include The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The Island of Doctor Moreau.
- Philip K. Dick: One of his most famous and popular books is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? which was adapted for the movie Blade Runner. Other works of his The Man in the High Castle and A Scanner Darkly which were adapted for streaming.
- Frank Herbert: One word, Dune. Drop the mic.
- William Gibson: His most famous title is Neuromancer. Other works include Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, and All Tomorrow’s Parties.
- Ursula K. Le Guin: The Left Hand of Darkness would be what most folks know him for. Other works include Earthsea series, the Hainish series, and The Dispossessed.
- Ray Bradbury: You are likely familiar with the titles Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and Something Wicked This Way Comes as all of them were adapted to screenplays.
This is certainly not a complete list. It is just a small selection of writers who have made significant contributions to the genre. Who would make your top nine?