You're going to want to try some Gregory Benford - a working physicist, writing about the politics of science as actually practiced. He also has some nonfiction articles periodically in "Reason".
I cut my teeth on SF too. I think I read "Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clark when I was 9. I bit off a little more than I could chew.
I recently picked up Farmer's "Riverworld" series and was astounded at just how awful it was. While some of the theories were interesting, the secular humanisim made the book stink like yesterday's diapers. I find a lot of that rubbish in books written during the 60's and 70's. What is WITH those authors?
As for SCIFI, I blocked it on my dish since they canned Farscape. They can take their "Tremors" worm and shove it up Vivendi's collective rump.
I am a bit optimistic. If NBC buys Universal, which includes SCIFI, then they need to be reminded that in the 60's they launched a little science fiction series that only lasted three years. Perhaps you've heard of it? ::wink wink!::
There are a handful of authors I read regularly -- David Duncan, Lois McMaster Bujold (ANYTHING Miles, ALL THE TIME!), Julie Czerneda (her Web Shifters is wonderful) and Terry Pratchett. Pratchett's humor in this day and age is priceless.