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January Fifteenth
“One of the best speculative writers of the last decade.”—John Scalzi
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.
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.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 14, 2022
46 people are currently reading
4,535 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Swirsky
132books195followersRachel Swirsky holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop and is a graduate of Clarion West. Her work has been short-listed for the Nebula, the Hugo, and the Sturgeon Award, and placed second in 2010's Million Writers Award. In addition to numerous publications in magazines and anthologies, Swirsky is the author of three short stories published as e-books, "Eros, Philia, Agape," "The Memory of Wind," and "The Monster's Million Faces." Her fiction and poetry has been collected in THROUGH THE DROWSY DARK (Aqueduct Press, 2010). A second collection, HOW THE WORLD BECAME QUIET: MYTHS OF THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, is forthcoming from Subterranean Press.
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January 16, 2024
January Fifteenth
by Rachel Swirsky is a near-future speculative fiction novel set in four locations in the United States. January Fifteenth is the day all Americans receive their Universal Basic Income payment. The entire book takes place on this one day and oddly enough I read the book on January fifteenth.
The book switches back and forth between four individuals and gives a perspective of their lives and of various viewpoints on Universal Basic Income. Hannah took her two children and fled an abusive ex-wife on a previous January Fifteenth. Janelle is a young, broke journalist interviewing passersby about the policy she once opposed. She is raising her younger sister after their parents� deaths. Olivia is a wealthy college freshman. Today’s the day students across the country compete to squander their payments. Sarah is a pregnant teen walking with other women and children in her community to pick up their payments.
The switching back and forth between four characters affected the pacing for me, despite some interesting scenarios. I was thoroughly intrigued by Hannah’s and Sarah’s stories, and even Janelle’s story had some interesting twists. The one that I liked the least was that of Olivia. However, that is the one that has the biggest twist to it that I didn’t see coming. Unfortunately, there is no real conclusion to the situation each woman is in.
Overall, this was a great premise, but didn’t deliver everything I expected. Despite this, I am glad I read it and the concept is thought-provoking. The author’s note gives a little information about Universal Basic Income programs and speculates on what impact it could or might have. She poses some good questions.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was June 14, 2022.
The book switches back and forth between four individuals and gives a perspective of their lives and of various viewpoints on Universal Basic Income. Hannah took her two children and fled an abusive ex-wife on a previous January Fifteenth. Janelle is a young, broke journalist interviewing passersby about the policy she once opposed. She is raising her younger sister after their parents� deaths. Olivia is a wealthy college freshman. Today’s the day students across the country compete to squander their payments. Sarah is a pregnant teen walking with other women and children in her community to pick up their payments.
The switching back and forth between four characters affected the pacing for me, despite some interesting scenarios. I was thoroughly intrigued by Hannah’s and Sarah’s stories, and even Janelle’s story had some interesting twists. The one that I liked the least was that of Olivia. However, that is the one that has the biggest twist to it that I didn’t see coming. Unfortunately, there is no real conclusion to the situation each woman is in.
Overall, this was a great premise, but didn’t deliver everything I expected. Despite this, I am glad I read it and the concept is thought-provoking. The author’s note gives a little information about Universal Basic Income programs and speculates on what impact it could or might have. She poses some good questions.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was June 14, 2022.
June 14, 2022
Ahoy there me mateys! I received an eArc of this sci-fi novella through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .
I wanted to read this near-futuristic novella because it deals with the topic of an Universal Basic Income ("UBI") in the United States. The idea is that on January 15th, the U.S. government hands out the UBI payment to its citizens. The novella follows four people who get their payments that day.
The author was clear in her forward that she would not get into the specifics of how the UBI was determined or how the programs worked and would focus on how it affected the characters. I thought this was a sad choice especially given the research briefly mentioned. I personally would have preferred a sci-fi work that dealt more with practicalities. Though I get that a novella would make this hard.
But ultimately this was just an okay read. It felt like a slice of life piece with no real point. Was UBI good or bad? I don't know. How the UBI really impacted the character's lives was very lightly touched on. It emotionally felt like UBI was being criticized for helping no one but with no real details. So I don't actually know if that is what the author was trying to say. The complicated issue of UBI felt like a backdrop with no realism.
Also, for me personally, I felt that the characters all felt very one-dimensional - not quite caricatures but close. Pregnant teen cult member. Mother dealing with domestic violence. Bored rich college kid. Activist turned journalist who is jaded about the policy she set into place. The plot felt surface level because it takes place on one day and none of the plotlines resolve.
It was a quick read that I felt didn't do the topic justice even it I thought the concept was interesting. Arrrr!
I wanted to read this near-futuristic novella because it deals with the topic of an Universal Basic Income ("UBI") in the United States. The idea is that on January 15th, the U.S. government hands out the UBI payment to its citizens. The novella follows four people who get their payments that day.
The author was clear in her forward that she would not get into the specifics of how the UBI was determined or how the programs worked and would focus on how it affected the characters. I thought this was a sad choice especially given the research briefly mentioned. I personally would have preferred a sci-fi work that dealt more with practicalities. Though I get that a novella would make this hard.
But ultimately this was just an okay read. It felt like a slice of life piece with no real point. Was UBI good or bad? I don't know. How the UBI really impacted the character's lives was very lightly touched on. It emotionally felt like UBI was being criticized for helping no one but with no real details. So I don't actually know if that is what the author was trying to say. The complicated issue of UBI felt like a backdrop with no realism.
Also, for me personally, I felt that the characters all felt very one-dimensional - not quite caricatures but close. Pregnant teen cult member. Mother dealing with domestic violence. Bored rich college kid. Activist turned journalist who is jaded about the policy she set into place. The plot felt surface level because it takes place on one day and none of the plotlines resolve.
It was a quick read that I felt didn't do the topic justice even it I thought the concept was interesting. Arrrr!
June 8, 2024
The blurb says that this book is set in the future where the government pays a stipend to its citizens on this day. We visit four different people and what they are doing on this particular day.
When I read the blurb I was really excited to read this book. It sounded so engaging. Also, factor in that this was on the list of Hugo eligible novellas for 2023 and I figured this was a cannot miss. The first offering I did off that list was amazing. Unfortunately lightning did not strike twice. I believe the problem and why I did not enjoy it was that this is a case of false advertising. The blurb says that this is science fiction and really isn't. The only science fiction aspect is that it is in the future. This is more of a character study novella. We step into the life of four different people that have nothing to do with each other besides the fact that they are all getting the payment today. The author also adds to the false advertising as there is a foreword in this book about the payment. The problem was the payment was basically a non factor. It was the impetus for the actions of the characters but they might have went down the road they traveled anyways with or without this payment. As for the actual story it did not land with me. I believe this happened because this was a novella and now we are trying to get to know so many characters because of the different stories. I felt no connection to the characters and their predicament.
This book was not what I was expecting. Maybe if I had a better idea of what it actually was I might have enjoyed it. I was expecting a look into the future and the effects of this payment on this particular day. The payment affected them but not in the way I was hoping and expecting. These stories could happen to people today with or without the factor of money.
When I read the blurb I was really excited to read this book. It sounded so engaging. Also, factor in that this was on the list of Hugo eligible novellas for 2023 and I figured this was a cannot miss. The first offering I did off that list was amazing. Unfortunately lightning did not strike twice. I believe the problem and why I did not enjoy it was that this is a case of false advertising. The blurb says that this is science fiction and really isn't. The only science fiction aspect is that it is in the future. This is more of a character study novella. We step into the life of four different people that have nothing to do with each other besides the fact that they are all getting the payment today. The author also adds to the false advertising as there is a foreword in this book about the payment. The problem was the payment was basically a non factor. It was the impetus for the actions of the characters but they might have went down the road they traveled anyways with or without this payment. As for the actual story it did not land with me. I believe this happened because this was a novella and now we are trying to get to know so many characters because of the different stories. I felt no connection to the characters and their predicament.
This book was not what I was expecting. Maybe if I had a better idea of what it actually was I might have enjoyed it. I was expecting a look into the future and the effects of this payment on this particular day. The payment affected them but not in the way I was hoping and expecting. These stories could happen to people today with or without the factor of money.
July 5, 2022
3.5 Stars
This is an interesting thought experiment that explores a potential future where everyone receives Universal Basic Income.
I've always been intrigued by the ramifications of such a government program so I was intrigued by this premise.
This book provides an intimate perspective of several individuals, showing how each life might (or might not) be affected by the income. I personally would have liked to see a wider global perspective and felt the story did not go far enough to explore the topic. The biggest challenge was that the characters were a little flat and so I was not entirely invested in their future.
I felt like this novella could have been stronger but I would still recommend it to those interested in the topic.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This is an interesting thought experiment that explores a potential future where everyone receives Universal Basic Income.
I've always been intrigued by the ramifications of such a government program so I was intrigued by this premise.
This book provides an intimate perspective of several individuals, showing how each life might (or might not) be affected by the income. I personally would have liked to see a wider global perspective and felt the story did not go far enough to explore the topic. The biggest challenge was that the characters were a little flat and so I was not entirely invested in their future.
I felt like this novella could have been stronger but I would still recommend it to those interested in the topic.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
April 20, 2022
January Fifteenth is conceptually interesting and narratively compelling, though I do think it could have gone a bit deeper into the political and practical ramifications of the project.
Set in a future America, it looks at what might happen given a universal basic income payment, where everyone, regardless of wealth or status, receives a yearly payment. The novella follows four perspectives on the day of that payment.
- A woman with two kids on the run from her abusive ex-wife
- A young Black reporter caring for her trans teenage sister and conducting interviews about the UBI
- A college freshman and her group of privileged friends who look for wilder ways to waste their payment
- A pregnant teen girl in an abusive polygamist cult
The story follows each character as the day progresses and it's both interesting and riveting. I like the project of this and the way it touches on how something like a UBI could both help and hurt in different ways. Again, I think it could have gone deeper analytically but it's a cool concept and worth reading. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Set in a future America, it looks at what might happen given a universal basic income payment, where everyone, regardless of wealth or status, receives a yearly payment. The novella follows four perspectives on the day of that payment.
- A woman with two kids on the run from her abusive ex-wife
- A young Black reporter caring for her trans teenage sister and conducting interviews about the UBI
- A college freshman and her group of privileged friends who look for wilder ways to waste their payment
- A pregnant teen girl in an abusive polygamist cult
The story follows each character as the day progresses and it's both interesting and riveting. I like the project of this and the way it touches on how something like a UBI could both help and hurt in different ways. Again, I think it could have gone deeper analytically but it's a cool concept and worth reading. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
July 24, 2022
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
In “January Fifteenth� by , four women’s stories are told in the backdrop of the near-future, where the United States government has developed the “UBI� (Universal Basic Income) program, delivered each year to citizens on January 15th.
This novella is a compelling look at racism, sexual assault, the LGBTQ community and poverty as experienced by our protagonists Hannah, Janelle, Olivia and Sarah. One, a woman escaping her abusive wife with two young children in town; the other, a Black journalist raising her orphaned sister while trying to capture the UBI program from the perspective of its recipients; an entitled rich kid with money to spare and a fifteen year old pregnant cult member. All four women have different tragedies to overcome, and Swirsky has a different character narrate each chapter, as their “day in the life� that is January 15th unfolds.
I generally am not a fan of short stories but Swirsky manages to not only develop some pretty impressive characters but she also constructs a creative and emotional plot. Each character gets as much of an ending as you would expect from a novella, but it is enough to provide some closure and satisfaction. “January Fifteenth� has enough stamina that Swirsky could’ve turned it into a full blown novel, and I definitely think she has the talent to take it there, but the quick chapters made this an easily-read-in-one-day story that sticks with you, and Swirsky still manages to push all the emotional buttons.
In “January Fifteenth� by , four women’s stories are told in the backdrop of the near-future, where the United States government has developed the “UBI� (Universal Basic Income) program, delivered each year to citizens on January 15th.
This novella is a compelling look at racism, sexual assault, the LGBTQ community and poverty as experienced by our protagonists Hannah, Janelle, Olivia and Sarah. One, a woman escaping her abusive wife with two young children in town; the other, a Black journalist raising her orphaned sister while trying to capture the UBI program from the perspective of its recipients; an entitled rich kid with money to spare and a fifteen year old pregnant cult member. All four women have different tragedies to overcome, and Swirsky has a different character narrate each chapter, as their “day in the life� that is January 15th unfolds.
I generally am not a fan of short stories but Swirsky manages to not only develop some pretty impressive characters but she also constructs a creative and emotional plot. Each character gets as much of an ending as you would expect from a novella, but it is enough to provide some closure and satisfaction. “January Fifteenth� has enough stamina that Swirsky could’ve turned it into a full blown novel, and I definitely think she has the talent to take it there, but the quick chapters made this an easily-read-in-one-day story that sticks with you, and Swirsky still manages to push all the emotional buttons.
June 7, 2022
Thank you to Tordotcom for an advance e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A speculative fiction novella that discuss Universal Basic Income (UBI) should have been right up my alley, but unfortunately this book did not work for me. This novella is set in a near future United States where all Americans receive their universal basic income payment on January 15th. The book follows four different women on the day of their UBI payment, and attempts to showcase different opinions towards the idea of UBI.
The premise is certainly interesting, but it really did not come together in a meaningful way. The conversations were all pretty surface level, and I would have liked more nuanced storytelling for what is a pretty complex topic. The characters also felt oddly one dimensional- we really don't get much about these characters except for this very small window of time, and we don't really get to see their thoughts on UBI (except for one character, we really just have to infer how they feel based on the specific circumstances). Also, one of the main povs (Janelle), is a Black journalist who use to be an activist against UBI. While I appreciate this inclusion and the discussions around reparations, I do feel like they were poorly executed. It was a little uncomfortable to read this authors attempt to speak about Black issues and posit how the Black community might feel about UBI, while simultaneously dancing around the subject (also Black people are not a monolith, so...).
I think the worst part for me is the lack of world-building. We don't get any information on the events leading up the creation of the UBI program or why it happened, or really anything about how this near-future world operates.
Overall, this was an interesting premise, but poorly executed.
A speculative fiction novella that discuss Universal Basic Income (UBI) should have been right up my alley, but unfortunately this book did not work for me. This novella is set in a near future United States where all Americans receive their universal basic income payment on January 15th. The book follows four different women on the day of their UBI payment, and attempts to showcase different opinions towards the idea of UBI.
The premise is certainly interesting, but it really did not come together in a meaningful way. The conversations were all pretty surface level, and I would have liked more nuanced storytelling for what is a pretty complex topic. The characters also felt oddly one dimensional- we really don't get much about these characters except for this very small window of time, and we don't really get to see their thoughts on UBI (except for one character, we really just have to infer how they feel based on the specific circumstances). Also, one of the main povs (Janelle), is a Black journalist who use to be an activist against UBI. While I appreciate this inclusion and the discussions around reparations, I do feel like they were poorly executed. It was a little uncomfortable to read this authors attempt to speak about Black issues and posit how the Black community might feel about UBI, while simultaneously dancing around the subject (also Black people are not a monolith, so...).
I think the worst part for me is the lack of world-building. We don't get any information on the events leading up the creation of the UBI program or why it happened, or really anything about how this near-future world operates.
Overall, this was an interesting premise, but poorly executed.
August 14, 2022
Excellent. January Fifteen is set in the near-future U.S. with Universal Basic Income (UBI) and follows four women on January 15, the day they receive their UBI payments. Swirsky’s slice-of-life vignettes of their lives as they go through the day vividly illustrate how (and if) UBI helps people. Each character has a different perspective on money and different problems.
Olivia, a wealthy student, parties hard with her privileged friends. For them, January 15 is “Waste Day,� when they look for the fastest and most extravagant ways to waste money. Hannah is on the run from her abusive ex-wife, and money helps her to flee and keep her children safe and fed. Sarah, a pregnant teen trapped in a fundamentalist cult in Utah, is trying to find a different path for herself. Finally, Janelle, an ex-activist and broke reporter, needs money to support herself and her orphaned sister, Nevaeh. Janelle and Nevaeh are the most fun, both quick-witted and indulging in fun banter.
January Fifteen doesn’t take a political stand on UBI; it simply shows its smaller-scale effects on four humans. The money helps, but it doesn’t solve all their problems (domestic abuse, sexual assault, cult exploitation, etc.). Each protagonist has a distinct voice and emotional arc. I admit Janelle and Hanna’s stories engaged me the most, but all four are poignant and worthwhile.
I applaud Swirsky’s skill in packing so much depth and characterization in a novella format. Not an easy task; you need to make every scene and paragraph count and serve something. Now, there are some threads Swirsky mentioned but didn’t explore. A shame, but what we got remains an impressive work of socially conscious sci-fi able to tackle difficult themes without getting ideological.
Highly recommended.
Olivia, a wealthy student, parties hard with her privileged friends. For them, January 15 is “Waste Day,� when they look for the fastest and most extravagant ways to waste money. Hannah is on the run from her abusive ex-wife, and money helps her to flee and keep her children safe and fed. Sarah, a pregnant teen trapped in a fundamentalist cult in Utah, is trying to find a different path for herself. Finally, Janelle, an ex-activist and broke reporter, needs money to support herself and her orphaned sister, Nevaeh. Janelle and Nevaeh are the most fun, both quick-witted and indulging in fun banter.
January Fifteen doesn’t take a political stand on UBI; it simply shows its smaller-scale effects on four humans. The money helps, but it doesn’t solve all their problems (domestic abuse, sexual assault, cult exploitation, etc.). Each protagonist has a distinct voice and emotional arc. I admit Janelle and Hanna’s stories engaged me the most, but all four are poignant and worthwhile.
I applaud Swirsky’s skill in packing so much depth and characterization in a novella format. Not an easy task; you need to make every scene and paragraph count and serve something. Now, there are some threads Swirsky mentioned but didn’t explore. A shame, but what we got remains an impressive work of socially conscious sci-fi able to tackle difficult themes without getting ideological.
Highly recommended.
June 21, 2022
I rarely write anything about what I don't finish reading. Even less often do I include it in my activity feed. This is an exception and outlier in many ways. There's literally nothing else that I've rated and didn't finish. That's only because there are so few ratings for this that it'd have at least minimal impact. I strongly recommend against reading this.
I tried to finish reading this, but I couldn't. There's just so much utterly wrong with it. I don't doubt that a lot of is a personal reaction and perhaps even melodramatic, but I couldn't read anymore more than I did because of how upset it made me, in a unenjoyable way.
Keep in mind that because I didn't finish this that some details may not be exactly correct, though I did skim through the rest of it. The ostensible idea about this book is UBI, but saying that is a complete misrepresentation and bait & switch. If you're thinking about reading this for that, then don't, because you'll be severely disappointed.
As someone who is pro-UBI, this read as a completely propagandistic strawman attack that presented UBI as the worst it could about possibly be. All social welfare programs have been replaced by a single annual payment, the amount of which isn't specified. Though, basically nothing is specified in general. One character compares UBI to Special Field Orders No. 15, popularly known as "Forty Acres and a Mule". The narrative isn't really about the politics or anything else other than emotional disapproval. At most it's an excuse to call this speculative fiction. I can understand that and disagree with it without being upset, as opinions differ.
The problem was the characters and their interactions with each other. I don't know that I've ever read something that is so simultaneously exploitative, self-righteous, patronizing, and condescending with such intensity. I could feel my mind rebelling against the utter nonsense that I was reading. At first I was much more bewildered than angry. It's clearly not meant to be that way and the author may even be sincere rather than calculated. That makes this a story that has a bait premise and utterly fails at what it's actually about.
On a structural level it's a mess as well. There's not nearly enough pages dedicated to the four POVs, nor is that space used well, as apparently nothing is resolved in any way. I honestly don't know what the purpose of this novella is, let alone who it would be written for.
I've read short fiction from Swirsky before and what I read was at least alright and some won various awards. This though is an utter travesty. It cloaks itself with language that would make many of the author's political persuasion loathe to criticize for fear that they would be criticized in turn regardless, but that means little to nothing to me. I can't tell how much of this is performative allyship and how much isn't and honestly I can't bring myself to care.
I tried to finish reading this, but I couldn't. There's just so much utterly wrong with it. I don't doubt that a lot of is a personal reaction and perhaps even melodramatic, but I couldn't read anymore more than I did because of how upset it made me, in a unenjoyable way.
Keep in mind that because I didn't finish this that some details may not be exactly correct, though I did skim through the rest of it. The ostensible idea about this book is UBI, but saying that is a complete misrepresentation and bait & switch. If you're thinking about reading this for that, then don't, because you'll be severely disappointed.
As someone who is pro-UBI, this read as a completely propagandistic strawman attack that presented UBI as the worst it could about possibly be. All social welfare programs have been replaced by a single annual payment, the amount of which isn't specified. Though, basically nothing is specified in general. One character compares UBI to Special Field Orders No. 15, popularly known as "Forty Acres and a Mule". The narrative isn't really about the politics or anything else other than emotional disapproval. At most it's an excuse to call this speculative fiction. I can understand that and disagree with it without being upset, as opinions differ.
The problem was the characters and their interactions with each other. I don't know that I've ever read something that is so simultaneously exploitative, self-righteous, patronizing, and condescending with such intensity. I could feel my mind rebelling against the utter nonsense that I was reading. At first I was much more bewildered than angry. It's clearly not meant to be that way and the author may even be sincere rather than calculated. That makes this a story that has a bait premise and utterly fails at what it's actually about.
On a structural level it's a mess as well. There's not nearly enough pages dedicated to the four POVs, nor is that space used well, as apparently nothing is resolved in any way. I honestly don't know what the purpose of this novella is, let alone who it would be written for.
I've read short fiction from Swirsky before and what I read was at least alright and some won various awards. This though is an utter travesty. It cloaks itself with language that would make many of the author's political persuasion loathe to criticize for fear that they would be criticized in turn regardless, but that means little to nothing to me. I can't tell how much of this is performative allyship and how much isn't and honestly I can't bring myself to care.
June 12, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This novella has some very interesting ideas explored through very compelling characters. This is a very short book with four different storylines. That means the focus is much more on the individual lives and feels of the characters rather than any larger world-building but I think it was very well done.
As I said, this is quite short. ŷ has it as 240 pages but it felt even shorter. It also follows four characters: A reporter, a mom running from her ex, a Mormon fundamentalist, and a rich college student. This story explores the way in which having access to UBI has affected them and the world around them. Because of the number of storylines, you only get a bit of each character. This would be one issue I had. I don't know if Swirsky had a particular reason for wanting to keep the book at this length but I would have loved just a little more detail from each character. The mom running from the ex plot felt particularly underexplored to me but they all could have benefitted from a bit more detail in my opinion.
That being said, Swirsky does a great job developing her characters and demonstrating their struggles and the way they fit into this future. I really felt for all of them and were invested in their stories. Swirsky does a great job of flushing out the world through the interactions her characters had. She does a great job showing us how each character saw the world and that helped me as the reader also understand the world.
Swirsky does do all of her world-building from the perspective of her characters. Because of that, there's a lot about this world that we never learn about. People and groups and events and technology are mentioned but never further explained. I did not mind this because I so appreciated the character work but if you only like to read speculative works that really dive into their world-building, this might not be the book for you.
I would definitely recommend this. It's a quick read that explores some really interesting ideas and really carefully and critically thinks about how something like UBI could affect people in many different situations. I'm really glad I picked this book up.
This novella has some very interesting ideas explored through very compelling characters. This is a very short book with four different storylines. That means the focus is much more on the individual lives and feels of the characters rather than any larger world-building but I think it was very well done.
As I said, this is quite short. ŷ has it as 240 pages but it felt even shorter. It also follows four characters: A reporter, a mom running from her ex, a Mormon fundamentalist, and a rich college student. This story explores the way in which having access to UBI has affected them and the world around them. Because of the number of storylines, you only get a bit of each character. This would be one issue I had. I don't know if Swirsky had a particular reason for wanting to keep the book at this length but I would have loved just a little more detail from each character. The mom running from the ex plot felt particularly underexplored to me but they all could have benefitted from a bit more detail in my opinion.
That being said, Swirsky does a great job developing her characters and demonstrating their struggles and the way they fit into this future. I really felt for all of them and were invested in their stories. Swirsky does a great job of flushing out the world through the interactions her characters had. She does a great job showing us how each character saw the world and that helped me as the reader also understand the world.
Swirsky does do all of her world-building from the perspective of her characters. Because of that, there's a lot about this world that we never learn about. People and groups and events and technology are mentioned but never further explained. I did not mind this because I so appreciated the character work but if you only like to read speculative works that really dive into their world-building, this might not be the book for you.
I would definitely recommend this. It's a quick read that explores some really interesting ideas and really carefully and critically thinks about how something like UBI could affect people in many different situations. I'm really glad I picked this book up.
September 23, 2022
3 stars
This day is the one day of the year that every American receives their UBI. The UBI, Universal Basic Income, payment is awarded to each person, adult and child. People have made this a political problem and they riot on this day, both protesting the payment and trying to safe guard and protect the continuation of it.
We meet 4 different women over this one day in time. Each woman and their life is totally different. We go on the journey with Hannah - who with her two children is running in fear from her ex-wife; Janelle - a young journalist trying to raise her younger sister; Olivia - spoiled rich college brat; and Sarah - the 15 year old pregnant youngest wife, being made fun of by her 3 older sister wives. Each person is collecting their UBI on this day.
Just a glimpse into the future. We have heard of and understand Universal Health Care, which many countries have and use today. But what if that was taken one step further and everyone was issued Universal Basic Income. What side of the line would you fall on? Good idea or bad? Just a mystical idea? Or quietly being put in place? With forerunners like welfare payments and stimulus checks.
Science fiction, mystical realism, or sane futuristic forethought? You tell me...
This day is the one day of the year that every American receives their UBI. The UBI, Universal Basic Income, payment is awarded to each person, adult and child. People have made this a political problem and they riot on this day, both protesting the payment and trying to safe guard and protect the continuation of it.
We meet 4 different women over this one day in time. Each woman and their life is totally different. We go on the journey with Hannah - who with her two children is running in fear from her ex-wife; Janelle - a young journalist trying to raise her younger sister; Olivia - spoiled rich college brat; and Sarah - the 15 year old pregnant youngest wife, being made fun of by her 3 older sister wives. Each person is collecting their UBI on this day.
Just a glimpse into the future. We have heard of and understand Universal Health Care, which many countries have and use today. But what if that was taken one step further and everyone was issued Universal Basic Income. What side of the line would you fall on? Good idea or bad? Just a mystical idea? Or quietly being put in place? With forerunners like welfare payments and stimulus checks.
Science fiction, mystical realism, or sane futuristic forethought? You tell me...
June 10, 2022
Probably more of a 3.5.
CW: mentions of domestic violence, suicide, polygamous cult and child marriage
I don’t even know why I decided to pick up this novella. I think it was the premise of the UBI which is a topic I have been wanting to know about for while. Though after reading this book, I think my idea of the UBI was way more idealistic and not practical.
This story has four POVs - four women who are in very different circumstances and through their experiences, the author tries to throw light on how having the option of UBI will affect people based on their situations. It was especially illuminating to see how victims of domestic violence or those stuck in cults would feel having their own money, but at the same how the perpetrators might use this as another way to make use of the victims. I liked the two POVs representing women in these situations. The other two POVs I wasn’t a huge fan of but one of them did offer up various views about UBI from lots of people.
I know I’m being very vague in my review and can’t even articulate what I probably felt reading this book. I will say that if you are looking for a character focused story, you will get it but it may not be fully satisfactory. But if you are okay with a story that explores the pros and cons of UBI through the eyes of many characters, then you should find this fascinating.
CW: mentions of domestic violence, suicide, polygamous cult and child marriage
I don’t even know why I decided to pick up this novella. I think it was the premise of the UBI which is a topic I have been wanting to know about for while. Though after reading this book, I think my idea of the UBI was way more idealistic and not practical.
This story has four POVs - four women who are in very different circumstances and through their experiences, the author tries to throw light on how having the option of UBI will affect people based on their situations. It was especially illuminating to see how victims of domestic violence or those stuck in cults would feel having their own money, but at the same how the perpetrators might use this as another way to make use of the victims. I liked the two POVs representing women in these situations. The other two POVs I wasn’t a huge fan of but one of them did offer up various views about UBI from lots of people.
I know I’m being very vague in my review and can’t even articulate what I probably felt reading this book. I will say that if you are looking for a character focused story, you will get it but it may not be fully satisfactory. But if you are okay with a story that explores the pros and cons of UBI through the eyes of many characters, then you should find this fascinating.
April 11, 2022
This book uses four very different perspectives to explore what a universal basic income might look like and how it may impact different kinds of people. My thoughts going into this were that it was an interesting concept but might be kind of boring to read. I need not have feared! I was thoroughly engaged by this and loved all the different perspectives equally. It was always a treat to go back to an old perspective and see what was going on with them. All of the characters were fascinating and sympathetic.
In terms of reading enjoyment, I loved this. I do feel like it could have gone a little farther politically. A lot was imagined, but I feel that there was a lot left unimagined. Indeed, it is only a novella. It can only do so much. This is definitely just the start of a conversation and not an in depth, super nuanced discussion. As such, it is great.
Sexual violence? There is unwelcome kissing/groping of a drugged/drunk woman at a college party. Other content warnings? Cult, child abuse, domestic violence.
In terms of reading enjoyment, I loved this. I do feel like it could have gone a little farther politically. A lot was imagined, but I feel that there was a lot left unimagined. Indeed, it is only a novella. It can only do so much. This is definitely just the start of a conversation and not an in depth, super nuanced discussion. As such, it is great.
Sexual violence? There is unwelcome kissing/groping of a drugged/drunk woman at a college party. Other content warnings? Cult, child abuse, domestic violence.
June 3, 2022
I love speculative fiction by marginalized authors and January Fifteenth is no different. A fascinating character- and specifically women-first look at UBI if it existed in America. Will definitely read more from Swirsky!
June 27, 2022
Normally, I’d spend much of this review delving into the social, economic, cultural, and political ramifications of Universal Basic Income, because one of the hazards (I call it perks, but I’m a weirdo) of being a Geography major is taking Economic Geography, where you end up talking about the ups and downs of UBI programs the world over: where they have been implemented, how they’ve been implemented, and the pros and cons of each country’s UBI programs. But� no offense to anyone reading this review in the future, but I’ve had just about enough of anything political as of this date after the last few days and so I’m just going to stick by the brilliant manner in which Rachel Swirsky decides to explore a theoretical United States in the future where a UBI program has been implemented and how it affects the lives of four different women from four walks of life.
Some might consider this book a novella, but it’s really not. It’s simply on the shorter side of a novel at 242 pages (novellas are 200 pages or under). I’m glad Swirsky stuck to less than 250 pages for this book, set it all within one day, and split the narrative between just four characters and how they each spend their “Windfall Day� (AKA the day when every American receives their UBI payment). Any longer and it would’ve been milking the material. This format and length keeps the book moving, keeps the material fresh and crisp with no lag time. Clever move.
I have to imagine one of the tougher parts for Swirsky was to pick the four women and their backgrounds to give us readers a diverse set of characters to see a few possible perspectives of how a UBI could affect people in the US. There’s Hannah, a single mom who’s hiding from her abusive, stalker ex-wife who always manages to find her on Windfall Day; there’s Janelle, who used to rage against the very political machines who thought up the UBI legislation even though it was evident it was skewed to (once again) give minorities and marginalized peoples the shaft but has since lost all her passion to fight; there’s Olivia, who’s a wealthy college kid who hangs out with other wealthy college kids on what other people call “Windfall Day� but they call it “Waste Day� and simply spend the day blowing all their UBI on the most absurd things they can think of; and there’s Sarah, a FLDS child-bride who’s 15 and very pregnant and may be considering leaving her husband and sister-wives after they lied to her and took her brother away late one night. In the course of one Windfall Day, all of these women see their lives changed: not because of the money the UBI brings, but because of how the UBI affects either their lives or the lives of people around them.
This book is the kind of pure speculative fiction I love, where anthropology, philosophy, thought experiments, and poignant prose come together to create entertaining and palatable prose that will linger in your brain and keep you thinking for a very long time.
Thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan-Tor/Forge, and Tordotcom for granting me early access to this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Some might consider this book a novella, but it’s really not. It’s simply on the shorter side of a novel at 242 pages (novellas are 200 pages or under). I’m glad Swirsky stuck to less than 250 pages for this book, set it all within one day, and split the narrative between just four characters and how they each spend their “Windfall Day� (AKA the day when every American receives their UBI payment). Any longer and it would’ve been milking the material. This format and length keeps the book moving, keeps the material fresh and crisp with no lag time. Clever move.
I have to imagine one of the tougher parts for Swirsky was to pick the four women and their backgrounds to give us readers a diverse set of characters to see a few possible perspectives of how a UBI could affect people in the US. There’s Hannah, a single mom who’s hiding from her abusive, stalker ex-wife who always manages to find her on Windfall Day; there’s Janelle, who used to rage against the very political machines who thought up the UBI legislation even though it was evident it was skewed to (once again) give minorities and marginalized peoples the shaft but has since lost all her passion to fight; there’s Olivia, who’s a wealthy college kid who hangs out with other wealthy college kids on what other people call “Windfall Day� but they call it “Waste Day� and simply spend the day blowing all their UBI on the most absurd things they can think of; and there’s Sarah, a FLDS child-bride who’s 15 and very pregnant and may be considering leaving her husband and sister-wives after they lied to her and took her brother away late one night. In the course of one Windfall Day, all of these women see their lives changed: not because of the money the UBI brings, but because of how the UBI affects either their lives or the lives of people around them.
This book is the kind of pure speculative fiction I love, where anthropology, philosophy, thought experiments, and poignant prose come together to create entertaining and palatable prose that will linger in your brain and keep you thinking for a very long time.
Thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan-Tor/Forge, and Tordotcom for granting me early access to this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
January 10, 2023
1.5*
January Fifteenth attempts to explore the implementation of Universal Basic Income (UBI) for everyone, regardless of their financial situation.
In a nutshell, January Fifteenth uses 238 pages to tell us that people (particularly rich people) given free money will still be the same people they are without it. There was next to no plot and none of the characters were likeable (maybe Hannah).
The idea of UBI was interesting but lacked detail. We follow four women and their experiences with UBI. Olivia's story (a bunch of rich kids waste their UBI payments) served the single purpose of illustrating how wasteful the rich would be if they received benefits.
Using only 238 pages to explore a near-future world, four characters and the UBI scheme didn't work. She could've looked at two characters in more detail and focused on the effect of the UBI, rather than forcing more characters and as many societal issues as she could fit into the book.
It had so much potential. The author attempted to world build a near distant future, but it just ended up being current day with phones that you wear on your wrist.
This plot had so much potential but was poorly executed.
January Fifteenth attempts to explore the implementation of Universal Basic Income (UBI) for everyone, regardless of their financial situation.
In a nutshell, January Fifteenth uses 238 pages to tell us that people (particularly rich people) given free money will still be the same people they are without it. There was next to no plot and none of the characters were likeable (maybe Hannah).
The idea of UBI was interesting but lacked detail. We follow four women and their experiences with UBI. Olivia's story (a bunch of rich kids waste their UBI payments) served the single purpose of illustrating how wasteful the rich would be if they received benefits.
Using only 238 pages to explore a near-future world, four characters and the UBI scheme didn't work. She could've looked at two characters in more detail and focused on the effect of the UBI, rather than forcing more characters and as many societal issues as she could fit into the book.
It had so much potential. The author attempted to world build a near distant future, but it just ended up being current day with phones that you wear on your wrist.
This plot had so much potential but was poorly executed.
May 1, 2024
Interesting premise, but I would have liked some of those details about UBI the author, in fairness, warned were deliberately given little shrift. Some of the narratives were more compelling than others. Glad I read it. It was different and will probably stay with me as a result.
June 21, 2022
The near-future Sci-Fi novella follows four women on the day when the Universal Basic Income (UBI) is paid by the government to the citizens of the U.S.
The author prefaces the novella that she won't go into how the UBI came about and/or how it is organised.
I assumed the story was about how the UBI shapes and influences the four women's lives, but somehow this was only lightly touched on. In the end it was speculative fiction depicting one day in the lives of a divorced mother of two who's escaped an abusive relationship; a rich college girl bored at her privileged party in Aspen; a jaded reporter taking care of her transgender teenage sibling; a pregnant teenage member of a polygamist cult.
The author prefaces the novella that she won't go into how the UBI came about and/or how it is organised.
I assumed the story was about how the UBI shapes and influences the four women's lives, but somehow this was only lightly touched on. In the end it was speculative fiction depicting one day in the lives of a divorced mother of two who's escaped an abusive relationship; a rich college girl bored at her privileged party in Aspen; a jaded reporter taking care of her transgender teenage sibling; a pregnant teenage member of a polygamist cult.
August 3, 2022
You don't need 240 pages to prove the thesis of, "people given free money will still be the same people they are without it, and those people kind of suck." This felt like a thesis-proof or a thought experiment more than a book. It didn't have a plot, it had character vignettes, and none of the characters were people I cared about.
Your mileage may vary, but this book was not for me.
Your mileage may vary, but this book was not for me.
May 7, 2023
'MURICA
Un libro que intenta hacer ficción especulativa sobre los efectos de establecer una Renta Básica Universal y la única conclusión que saca es que: todo mal. Todas las clases sociales, todas las variables, todos los personajes. Recibir una cantidad de dinero a cambio de nada, de una manera u otra, te arruinará la vida.
Además de eso: las historias son monótonas, para que el paso del tiempo sea tan relevante en la estructura del libro, en realidad no importa; ninguna de las historias tiene una conclusión y todos los personajes son únicamente sus circunstancias. Ninguno se define por nada más que lo que le pasa. Y solo le pasa una unidad de cosa a lo largo del día.
La historia también falla en que quiere extraer conclusiones universales pero no se da cuenta de que está construida con problemas muy específicos y propios de EEUU: nula protección institucional a las víctimas de violencia de género de Hannah, gig culture en el de Janelle, acceso libre y sin control a armas en el caso de Olivia y sectas en el de Sarah.
Esperaba otra cosa. De las tramas principales y de todo lo secundario.
Un libro que intenta hacer ficción especulativa sobre los efectos de establecer una Renta Básica Universal y la única conclusión que saca es que: todo mal. Todas las clases sociales, todas las variables, todos los personajes. Recibir una cantidad de dinero a cambio de nada, de una manera u otra, te arruinará la vida.
Además de eso: las historias son monótonas, para que el paso del tiempo sea tan relevante en la estructura del libro, en realidad no importa; ninguna de las historias tiene una conclusión y todos los personajes son únicamente sus circunstancias. Ninguno se define por nada más que lo que le pasa. Y solo le pasa una unidad de cosa a lo largo del día.
La historia también falla en que quiere extraer conclusiones universales pero no se da cuenta de que está construida con problemas muy específicos y propios de EEUU: nula protección institucional a las víctimas de violencia de género de Hannah, gig culture en el de Janelle, acceso libre y sin control a armas en el caso de Olivia y sectas en el de Sarah.
Esperaba otra cosa. De las tramas principales y de todo lo secundario.
June 13, 2022
"It felt odd to hug another adult. She realized, suddenly, how lonely she was. Even two wonderful, intuitive children couldn't fill an entire life."
January Fifteenth is the debut novella from Rachel Swirsky & it comes out tomorrow! Thanks to Tordotcom Publishing for sending me a copy!
Every January 15th, Americans receive their UBI, Universal Basic Income. This story takes place on the tenth anniversary of the policy's implementation & follows four women as they receive their payout.
"Money changes everything--except for people."
*It's been a year since Hannah took her two children & left her abusive ex-wife. They have been on the run from her ever since, with Hannah fearing Abigail will find them at any moment.
*Sarah is a pregnant 15-year-old who is trapped in an abusive polygamist cult, walking with her sister-wives to pickup their UBI. Her brother Toby was recently exiled.
*Olivia is a wealthy college student who is celebrating with her rich "friends" during winter break in a bonkers contest to essentially see who can be the most indulgent asshole with their payout.
*Janelle is a Black journalist who interviews people about the UBI & how the money has impacted their lives. For Janelle, the money is making it possible for her to raise her younger trans sister after the death of their parents.
January Fifteenth is a thought-provoking look at what a world with universal income could become, regardless of wealth or status. Rachel Swirsky explores just a few possibilities in this story, without delving too deeply into the politics of the matter. It's super well-written & compelling!
CW: Deadnaming, racism, suicide, domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual assault, abortion, stalking, drugs, guns.
January Fifteenth is the debut novella from Rachel Swirsky & it comes out tomorrow! Thanks to Tordotcom Publishing for sending me a copy!
Every January 15th, Americans receive their UBI, Universal Basic Income. This story takes place on the tenth anniversary of the policy's implementation & follows four women as they receive their payout.
"Money changes everything--except for people."
*It's been a year since Hannah took her two children & left her abusive ex-wife. They have been on the run from her ever since, with Hannah fearing Abigail will find them at any moment.
*Sarah is a pregnant 15-year-old who is trapped in an abusive polygamist cult, walking with her sister-wives to pickup their UBI. Her brother Toby was recently exiled.
*Olivia is a wealthy college student who is celebrating with her rich "friends" during winter break in a bonkers contest to essentially see who can be the most indulgent asshole with their payout.
*Janelle is a Black journalist who interviews people about the UBI & how the money has impacted their lives. For Janelle, the money is making it possible for her to raise her younger trans sister after the death of their parents.
January Fifteenth is a thought-provoking look at what a world with universal income could become, regardless of wealth or status. Rachel Swirsky explores just a few possibilities in this story, without delving too deeply into the politics of the matter. It's super well-written & compelling!
CW: Deadnaming, racism, suicide, domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual assault, abortion, stalking, drugs, guns.
June 15, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor/Forge for the ARC of this!
What a cool piece of speculative fiction, with a varied group of POVs and a very short timeline, this kept my attention from start to finish. I really enjoyed all the POVs and I think they all added a depth to the story - we follow a mother on the run from her abusive ex-wife, a sister-wife who is unhappy in her cult, a rich girl at a waste day party, and a journalist with her sister seeing how other people feel about the UBI, they were all interesting, sometimes with multiple POVs you find yourself waiting to get back to the “best� one, or struggling to keep them apart but these all felt very distinct and and engaging. I definitely recommend this, I don’t think I’ve seen speculative fiction based around UBI before, and it was really neat and well paced.
What a cool piece of speculative fiction, with a varied group of POVs and a very short timeline, this kept my attention from start to finish. I really enjoyed all the POVs and I think they all added a depth to the story - we follow a mother on the run from her abusive ex-wife, a sister-wife who is unhappy in her cult, a rich girl at a waste day party, and a journalist with her sister seeing how other people feel about the UBI, they were all interesting, sometimes with multiple POVs you find yourself waiting to get back to the “best� one, or struggling to keep them apart but these all felt very distinct and and engaging. I definitely recommend this, I don’t think I’ve seen speculative fiction based around UBI before, and it was really neat and well paced.
August 25, 2022
A slice-of-life novella about four women on the day they pick up their Universal Basic Income check.
3.5 stars
And here's the problem with the novella form: you can't dive too deeply into a topic with the shorter length. Some authors are able to deal with this pretty well but I think the cast of four rotating point-of-view characters made this story just a bit too superficial. I liked Hannah (on the run with her two children from an abusive ex-wife) and Sarah (reluctant pregnant sister wife), I was so-so with Janelle (journalist interviewing people about UBI) and didn't care about Olivia (wealthy clueless college freshman). The shortness of the story made them feel too paint-by-numbers. I still enjoyed the book though because I think the concept of UBI is fascinating and like reading about women who are gaining in strength and self-confidence.
3.5 stars
And here's the problem with the novella form: you can't dive too deeply into a topic with the shorter length. Some authors are able to deal with this pretty well but I think the cast of four rotating point-of-view characters made this story just a bit too superficial. I liked Hannah (on the run with her two children from an abusive ex-wife) and Sarah (reluctant pregnant sister wife), I was so-so with Janelle (journalist interviewing people about UBI) and didn't care about Olivia (wealthy clueless college freshman). The shortness of the story made them feel too paint-by-numbers. I still enjoyed the book though because I think the concept of UBI is fascinating and like reading about women who are gaining in strength and self-confidence.
September 4, 2022
This was a very okay, average kind of read that just felt a bit pointless and forgettable. Some of it was well written, and at least the Hannah and Sarah chapters made me feel little sprinkles of literally any kind of emotion, but in the end it was just way too shallow and brief for me. There's nothing here to care about except the characters, and there's just not enough time to develop or explore anything about them, and I think for the premise to work (following a number of characters through a particular day in their life) everything has to be a lot stronger than this. At least it was short.
September 12, 2022
More of a thought exercise than fiction, January Fifteenth explores a near-future U.S. on the day each citizen receives their Universal Basic Income payments. It's a satisfying, well-researched read with lots to chew on, but the characters and their storylines all felt in service to the exploration of an idea rather than compelling in their own right.
June 8, 2022
January Fifteenth is the date in this speculative science fiction novel where every citizen of the United States gets their UBI—universal basic income. UBI is a set amount given to every citizen regardless of financial status in order to alleviate poverty and replace need-based programs such as disability and social security.
We follow four different women in this book with four very different lives. Hannah is running from an abusive marriage with her two young sons, Janelle is a reporter over UBI controversies raising her 14 year old sister after their parents died in a plane crash, Olivia is a rich kid who is failing her first year at college, and Sarah is part of a religious cult that practices bigamy and impregnates young girls.
I love the fact that this story takes place in one single day. We follow all three women from morning of UBI Day, to the end. We learn so much about them in such a short period of time. We’re given both good things and bad things about UBI, and it is something I’d like to see in more speculative novels going forward.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the chance to read this advanced review copy! January Fifteenth releases on June 14th.
CW for suicide, sexual assault, domestic abuse, racism, and death of a parent
We follow four different women in this book with four very different lives. Hannah is running from an abusive marriage with her two young sons, Janelle is a reporter over UBI controversies raising her 14 year old sister after their parents died in a plane crash, Olivia is a rich kid who is failing her first year at college, and Sarah is part of a religious cult that practices bigamy and impregnates young girls.
I love the fact that this story takes place in one single day. We follow all three women from morning of UBI Day, to the end. We learn so much about them in such a short period of time. We’re given both good things and bad things about UBI, and it is something I’d like to see in more speculative novels going forward.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the chance to read this advanced review copy! January Fifteenth releases on June 14th.
CW for suicide, sexual assault, domestic abuse, racism, and death of a parent
April 17, 2022
I was after something short and punchy to read for a plane ride earlier this week, and January Fifteenth seemed like a good fit (with the added bonus of getting ahead on my ARCs). It mostly fit the bill as it read very quickly, though it does deal with plenty of tough topics � so some readers may be better off picking up something else for their flight.
January Fifteenth is less a novel and more a series of vignettes about the experiences people might have if a Universal Basic Income (UBI) scheme were to be introduced in the near-future United States. Three of the four stories are explicitly about marginalised or under-represented groups: a lesbian Jew who has survived domestic violence; a black woman and her transgender younger sister; a young Mormon girl who has suffered abuse within the church community.
Something I found interesting about Swirsky’s choice of perspectives is that a UBI program isn’t portrayed as a universally good thing for these people. In some cases the implementation of the program is still classist and racist, as certain recipients must jump through hoops to receive their money (similar to voter disenfranchisement in many countries); in other cases characters question whether giving everyone the same amount of money now is sufficient reparation for historical injustices. There is no easy answers to these questions, but Swirsky isn’t necessarily interested in providing them, simply getting the reader to think through some of the potential challenges we would face were we to ever implement such a system.
Swirsky also does an excellent job of creating a near-future America where things are mostly the same but kind of different: technologies have evolved (phones are now ‘wristers�), and the weather is unseasonably bad but not yet apocalyptic. But January Fifteenth also has the occasional moment of perceptive wit and isn’t afraid to poke pre-emptive fun at what cultural trends might continue in the years to come, with a few throwaway moments (you’ll know them when you see them) that made me snort.
The vignette format won’t be for everyone, and it does have a few pitfalls; one section tries to do too much by introducing too many minor characters and unfortunately distracting from the key message in the process, and overall I found the ending a little too abrupt. It’s also less political than I expect some readers will want: the text never makes a decisive statement about whether or not introducing a UBI policy is a desirable choice, nor does it always explicitly refute either pro or anti UBI statements made by various characters within the text.
But there’s definitely a lot to chew on here, and I’ll be thinking about some of the questions raised for a while, so I highly recommend it on that front.
January Fifteenth is less a novel and more a series of vignettes about the experiences people might have if a Universal Basic Income (UBI) scheme were to be introduced in the near-future United States. Three of the four stories are explicitly about marginalised or under-represented groups: a lesbian Jew who has survived domestic violence; a black woman and her transgender younger sister; a young Mormon girl who has suffered abuse within the church community.
Something I found interesting about Swirsky’s choice of perspectives is that a UBI program isn’t portrayed as a universally good thing for these people. In some cases the implementation of the program is still classist and racist, as certain recipients must jump through hoops to receive their money (similar to voter disenfranchisement in many countries); in other cases characters question whether giving everyone the same amount of money now is sufficient reparation for historical injustices. There is no easy answers to these questions, but Swirsky isn’t necessarily interested in providing them, simply getting the reader to think through some of the potential challenges we would face were we to ever implement such a system.
Swirsky also does an excellent job of creating a near-future America where things are mostly the same but kind of different: technologies have evolved (phones are now ‘wristers�), and the weather is unseasonably bad but not yet apocalyptic. But January Fifteenth also has the occasional moment of perceptive wit and isn’t afraid to poke pre-emptive fun at what cultural trends might continue in the years to come, with a few throwaway moments (you’ll know them when you see them) that made me snort.
The vignette format won’t be for everyone, and it does have a few pitfalls; one section tries to do too much by introducing too many minor characters and unfortunately distracting from the key message in the process, and overall I found the ending a little too abrupt. It’s also less political than I expect some readers will want: the text never makes a decisive statement about whether or not introducing a UBI policy is a desirable choice, nor does it always explicitly refute either pro or anti UBI statements made by various characters within the text.
But there’s definitely a lot to chew on here, and I’ll be thinking about some of the questions raised for a while, so I highly recommend it on that front.
June 14, 2022
This is flat and boring, doesn't really engage with its premise, nor with the characters either. Just a whole lot of nothingburger.
September 14, 2023
Rachel Swirsky is one of the most thoughtful, provocative writers in contemporary science fiction. Her work embodies the human experience with all its pathos and glory, without ever preaching or descending into hyperbole. In January Fifteenth, she begins with asking “What if�?� What if Universal Basic Income happened? Who would it help, and how? Which problems would it solve, and which make worse? And how many lives would be untouched, because some problems cannot be solved by money?
Instead of an exposition-laden diatribe, Swirsky takes us inside the lives of four very different women. With compassion but notably without judgment, she plays out their days before, the day of, and after the annual UBI payouts.
Hannah is a middle-aged mother fleeing an abusive ex-spouse, an escape made possible by her monthly UBI. But “doing a geographic� cannot solve her well-founded fears of discovery, nor can it take the place of unexpected and effective help.
Janelle is a single, Black, struggling journalist wrestling with a rebellious, activist younger sister. Her life has become an unending drudge of barely making ends meet by interviewing strangers about UBI, even though her sister and—formerly—she herself opposed the policy.
Sarah, a pregnant teenager, a prisoner of a religious cult that practices child marriage, polygamy, and keeping women poor and ignorant, trudges to the UBI disbursement center. Her money will not buy her freedom, even if she could imagine such a thing, for it belongs her elderly husband.
Finally, Olivia parties with her wealthy, entitled college student friends, vying for who can spend their UBI in the most wasteful fashion. Her life is a parade of drug-induced visions, superficial relationships, and fear that her parents will find out she’s flunked out. On the surface, she is the most financially well-off character, yet by far the most enslaved.
January Fifteenth is science fiction at its best: stories that are challenging, accessible and, most of all, human.
Recommended.
Instead of an exposition-laden diatribe, Swirsky takes us inside the lives of four very different women. With compassion but notably without judgment, she plays out their days before, the day of, and after the annual UBI payouts.
Hannah is a middle-aged mother fleeing an abusive ex-spouse, an escape made possible by her monthly UBI. But “doing a geographic� cannot solve her well-founded fears of discovery, nor can it take the place of unexpected and effective help.
Janelle is a single, Black, struggling journalist wrestling with a rebellious, activist younger sister. Her life has become an unending drudge of barely making ends meet by interviewing strangers about UBI, even though her sister and—formerly—she herself opposed the policy.
Sarah, a pregnant teenager, a prisoner of a religious cult that practices child marriage, polygamy, and keeping women poor and ignorant, trudges to the UBI disbursement center. Her money will not buy her freedom, even if she could imagine such a thing, for it belongs her elderly husband.
Finally, Olivia parties with her wealthy, entitled college student friends, vying for who can spend their UBI in the most wasteful fashion. Her life is a parade of drug-induced visions, superficial relationships, and fear that her parents will find out she’s flunked out. On the surface, she is the most financially well-off character, yet by far the most enslaved.
January Fifteenth is science fiction at its best: stories that are challenging, accessible and, most of all, human.
Recommended.
April 20, 2022
A beautifully realized work of speculative fiction in the truest sense; an excellent novella about a possible future in all its ups and downs: I've been thinking about this one since I finished it, and I'm not sure I'll be stopping anytime soon! 4.5 stars, rounded up.
I thoroughly enjoyed Rachel Swirsky's "January Fifteenth", which tells the stories of four different people living in a near-future America, chronicling their lives on the day that annual Universal Basic Income payments are dispensed. A woman tries to protect herself and her children from an abusive ex-wife; a college girl attends an all-day party celebrating "Waste Day"; a journalist brings her younger sister (of whom she is the legal guardian) on interviews; a young pregnant woman in a cult makes the walk to collect her annual payment.
I was a little worried, going in, that four stories would be too many to balance in such a short format, but Swirsky handles her characters' development deftly and extremely well, and I didn't feel that any story (or character) was particularly privileged over another. The format of the book (which follows each character in switching chapters based on the time of day) was also excellent, and lent a clear and focused structure to the story.
This felt like speculative fiction in the most integral sense of the word: it speculated about something that could, perhaps, happen. It asked questions rather than gave answers, but it didn't set those questions about plot or character, and remains an excellent piece of fiction in itself, as well.
There were a couple of aspects of the world I'd love to see a little more fleshed out, that felt brushed over in the main text - I need more explanation on the "wristers"! - but that was a relatively small detail that didn't majorly affect my enjoyment of the story. Overall, an excellent read; I'd recommend this highly.
I thoroughly enjoyed Rachel Swirsky's "January Fifteenth", which tells the stories of four different people living in a near-future America, chronicling their lives on the day that annual Universal Basic Income payments are dispensed. A woman tries to protect herself and her children from an abusive ex-wife; a college girl attends an all-day party celebrating "Waste Day"; a journalist brings her younger sister (of whom she is the legal guardian) on interviews; a young pregnant woman in a cult makes the walk to collect her annual payment.
I was a little worried, going in, that four stories would be too many to balance in such a short format, but Swirsky handles her characters' development deftly and extremely well, and I didn't feel that any story (or character) was particularly privileged over another. The format of the book (which follows each character in switching chapters based on the time of day) was also excellent, and lent a clear and focused structure to the story.
This felt like speculative fiction in the most integral sense of the word: it speculated about something that could, perhaps, happen. It asked questions rather than gave answers, but it didn't set those questions about plot or character, and remains an excellent piece of fiction in itself, as well.
There were a couple of aspects of the world I'd love to see a little more fleshed out, that felt brushed over in the main text - I need more explanation on the "wristers"! - but that was a relatively small detail that didn't majorly affect my enjoyment of the story. Overall, an excellent read; I'd recommend this highly.
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