January Fifteenth

 

 I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: January Fifteenth

Author: Rachel Swirsky 

Publisher: Tordotcom

Release Date: 6.14.22

Publisher’s Summary 

January Fifteenth—the day all Americans receive their annual Universal Basic Income payment.

For Hannah, a middle-aged mother, today is the anniversary of the day she took her two children and fled her abusive ex-wife.

For Janelle, a young, broke journalist, today is another mind-numbing day interviewing passersby about the very policy she once opposed.

For Olivia, a wealthy college freshman, today is “Waste Day”, when rich kids across the country compete to see who can most obscenely squander the government’s money.

For Sarah, a pregnant teen, today is the day she’ll journey alongside her sister-wives to pick up the payment­­s that undergird their community—and perhaps embark on a new journey altogether.

In this near-future science fiction novella by Nebula Award-winning author Rachel Swirsky, the fifteenth of January is another day of the status quo, and another chance at making lasting change.

My Review

In this near-future America, every citizen receives a Universal Basic Income (UBI) payment on January fifteenth. I find the concept of a universal basic income interesting, thought-provoking, and questionable, especially in the midst of The Great Resignation, the fight for a living wage, the need for a redistribution of wealth among companies/billionaires, and most recently, the law of forced birth. The chapters are divided to follow 4 women and the novella (236 pages) spans the entirety of a single UBI day. Swinrsky gives a peek at the different pressures and obstacles being faced by several characters--just enough insight to get a reader's brain working and mulling over how a universal application does not equate to the same outcome. This book does not deliver answers or conclusions but was smart and well-written enough to not need those. I recommend this to anyone who loves speculative feminist fiction with social and economic focuses or someone looking for a thought-provoking quick read.