Along with William Gibson, Bruce Sterling was at the forefront of the early cyberpunk movement of the 1980s. Similar to Philip K. Dick, Sterling is very empathic, politically astute, and much of his sociological predictions have turned out to be eerily prophetic.

One of my favorite short stories of his, “We See Things Differently”, is also a highlight of the excellent anthology Semiotext(e) SF. What makes it particularly intriguing is that it’s narrated from the point of view of a Muslim journalist visiting post-collapse America on a mission to interview the most influential musician of the era (who happens to have much in common with Bob Marley).

You can read Sterling’s complete story here: http://www.revolutionsf.com/fiction/weseethings/01.html

Or if you prefer, listen to an audiobook version here.