I recall when I read Stranger in a Strange Land, which was my first exposure to Heinlein, not really digging the worldview but still enjoying the writing.

I'm not as familiar with sci-fi as I'd like sometimes, just due to feeling constrained on time and not feeling like I can relax with a book very often --- but I try to gradually check stuff out now and then. I also prefer hard sci-fi, I think - what I like is when there is a clear idea/projection being explored in a narrative -rather than stuff that leans more towards fantasy/plot. So while Asimov gets knocked for not having deep characters, I always liked him because he's using the story as a vehicle for an idea and does that part well.

So more recently I bought a copy of Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars - not read yet - but I did this after reading his short stories in a compilation. He's more what I like and I gather leans left rather than right - environmental at times and all that. Some reviews online suggest that some people find him dry, and I understand why but it doesn't bother me that much.

There's enough sci-fi podcasts out there devoted to reading current stories that this isn't a bad way to keep up if you have time - I wish I listened as much as I used to, because I was able to hear a lot of the main award nominees in a given year.