Old newbie here, looking to get back into the hobby

Hi there. I'm looking for some advice.

I had a bunch of Fighting Fantasy books way back in the late 80s, and I loved them, but then when I became an adult and moved to various places and all my old stuff was lost.

I am in my 50s now, and nostalgia is biting, so I thought I would relive those days. I bought several books (The Warlock of Firetop Mountain to Island of the Lizard King) and am having a blast.

But I'd like to know what the state of the hobby is these days, and how it's changed in the last few decades. What are some must-reads? How have fighting mechanics evolved? Who are the best authors/illustrators? Any publishers specialising in gamebooks, or are they mostly self-published?

I am an amateur speculative fiction writer with a few short stories published, so I would like to try my hand at writing a gamebook. Is there a Discord/community for such writers?

Thanks.