because I skimmed over the thread and a LOT of those names I recognized and noticed that they have a fairly dedicated (and sometimes large) following.

Yep, I'll second that. I just took a look at that list, and couldn't help laugh when I saw both Tradescant and Lupercali (Pru) on the list. Dude, they're some of the most recced and appreciated authors in this fandom.

So there you have your problem...because while some newer readers may think they're underappreciated, on the whole scale of fandom, they are certainly not. :-)