I like working closely with artists. I think that's very important in fantasy and science fiction - the visual aspect of the worlds and the characters. ↗
Even if you only want to write science fiction, you should also read mysteries, poetry, mainstream literature, history, biography, philosophy, and science. ↗
I've loved science fiction ever since I was a little kid, mainly from looking at the covers of science-fiction magazines and books, and I've read quite extensively as an adult. ↗