I had the same experience at age 13.

I'd read the American classics like Asimov and Clarke, but Varley's short stories were the first time I encountered science fiction where society is genuinely something completely different than just post-WWII America projected into space.

John Varley and Stanislaw Lem changed my worldview completely as a teenager. In my mind they are the two greats of science fiction. I'm also grateful somebody translated and published their books in my small European language.

I had a city college teacher who knew I liked sci-fi, so she printed me out the short story Equinoctial. Great little story, and from there I devoured everything by him.

The relatively recent Irontown Blues reminded me how great the Eight Worlds is, and how entertaining he is.

out of curiosity, what language is it (asking from thousands of miles of english and spanish around me, but longing for german and polish and italian)