I recommend re-reading some of the series that you “remember liking”. I have done it with a bunch of series, including some large ones like WoT and Malazan, and have gotten wayy more out of them after a second reading and at a later age, than I have reading a bunch of new sci fi and fantasy authors.
The bar to publish today has never been lower, so even though I still read a lot I don’t often recommend anything. Obviously there are a few stand outs, Andy Weir is a good example, the Expanse guys, etc. but they seem few and far between…
One thing that worked for me when I was struggling to find good new sci fi was to go back through Hugo and Nebula award winners and nominations and read anything I haven’t read before. Found some gems in there I had never heard of that stick with me.
Good luck with the search
They are already being sold in Australia, which has fairly strict safety standards