Phil Dick was OUT THERE.
My favorites were Arthur C Clark, Heinlein and Azimov.
I liked Chrichton too. Alan Dean Foster as well.
I still remember a Heinlein plot or two. Asimov, Farmer, Niven, Pohl. Anyone read Henry Kuttner? He added some humor. If you want humor and fantasy, there’s Terry Pratchett. I’m definitely an old foggy as I stopped reading Sci-fi/fantasy many years ago and am completely unfamiliar with new writers.