In the not-too-distant future, improvements in life-sustaining technology and a fear of infection resulting from an age of devastating plagues has created a suffocating gerontocracy where every act is monitored and morality is founded on how much you cost to keep alive. Sterling's strength is that he thinks deeply about the societal changes that technology causes; it's Science Fiction in the best sense. Occasionally, the plot seems to meander because Sterling is eager to show off one implication or another, but it's pretty fast-moving, so the digressions don't drag.