I have no idea who Bruce Sterling is and I'm a huge sci-fi fan too.
Then, hope you don't mind if I interject some recommendations. :-) Set in the near future, Holy Fire is an intimate look at the implication of life-extension and the meaning of youth (but not in a philosophically ponderous way... it's more of a wild chase). Incidentally, it includes a lot of fashion/clothing, which may not sound like a strong selling point, but it definitely broadens the appeal and accessibility of the work outside traditional sci-fi audiences. Technically speaking, I feel it's his most well-executed story, so it's usually what I recommend to people despite it being tamer than...
Schismatrix. This book is set further in the future when first-world humanity has spread thru the solar system. It's my personal favorite for its vast, world-building scope, and unrestrained hacking of the human body (again, much of it in the life-extension vein). I love too that it doesn't revolve around a single gimmicky artifact (e.g., looking at you Stargate) but around a large number of competing technical approaches. Bruce described his work in retrospect as being something like a sea-urchin... ugly and assymetrical, yet pieces break off and embed themselves in you for years.
I'd also recommend Distraction, which is a fun read. All three novels portray a struggling humanity trying to hold life together in the gaping face of limitless technological potential. They are best thought of as biographies of fictional people (Bruce can be weak on plot) that are heroic for their ability to adapt and change.
I feel his other works (the ones I've read anyway) pale in comparison... Heavy Weather is okay. Zenith Angle, while politically insightful, is decidedly mediocre. YMMV.