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Payday: A Short Story
A near future sci-fi thriller about the perils of a universal basic income.
In a world gone mad with fake news, rising prices, job automation, and the welfare state, one man struggles to provide for his family and give them a better future than his own. But while it may be too late to save his society from collapse, those who learn the old ways can still find their way.
In a world gone mad with fake news, rising prices, job automation, and the welfare state, one man struggles to provide for his family and give them a better future than his own. But while it may be too late to save his society from collapse, those who learn the old ways can still find their way.
- GenresScience Fiction
28 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2020
1 person is currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Joe Vasicek
117Ìýbooks99ÌýfollowersJoe Vasicek fell in love with science fiction and fantasy when he read A Wrinkle in Time and The Neverending Story as a child. He wrote several unfinished novels in high school and took Brandon Sanderson's writing class at Brigham Young University.
He first came onto the indie writing scene in 2011 with his debut novel Genesis Earth. Since then, he has written more than twenty novels and novellas, including Genesis Earth, Gunslinger to the Stars, The Sword Keeper, and the Sons of the Starfarers series. His stories have been published in Perehilion, Mirror Dance, Sci Phi Journal, Uprising Review, Kasma SF, and Leading Edge.
As a young man, he studied Arabic and traveled across the Middle East and the Caucasus Mountains. He has also traveled across the United States, and has lived in Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Utah, Washington DC, and Iowa. Wherever he goes, though, he's always writing.
He first came onto the indie writing scene in 2011 with his debut novel Genesis Earth. Since then, he has written more than twenty novels and novellas, including Genesis Earth, Gunslinger to the Stars, The Sword Keeper, and the Sons of the Starfarers series. His stories have been published in Perehilion, Mirror Dance, Sci Phi Journal, Uprising Review, Kasma SF, and Leading Edge.
As a young man, he studied Arabic and traveled across the Middle East and the Caucasus Mountains. He has also traveled across the United States, and has lived in Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Utah, Washington DC, and Iowa. Wherever he goes, though, he's always writing.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 22, 2020
An ominous future explored
In the current political climate and that of the past several years, it seems likely that if fascism comes to the United States it will come from the left. Of course they won't call it that but the label really doesn't matter, tyranny is tyranny no matter what you call it. In this well done short story, tyranny has arrived. The constitution seems to be just a word. In fact, in this story neither the constitution nor constitutional rights seem to exist at all. Out of control big government programs oppress the people and stiffle freedom. Fortunately for Peter and his family, his wife Jane's father lives in a rural area where sanity still prevails and government control has not yet been fully extended.
I don't know if Mr. Vasicek considers his work to be Libertarian science fiction but that is what I would label this story. Currently free from Amazon.
In the current political climate and that of the past several years, it seems likely that if fascism comes to the United States it will come from the left. Of course they won't call it that but the label really doesn't matter, tyranny is tyranny no matter what you call it. In this well done short story, tyranny has arrived. The constitution seems to be just a word. In fact, in this story neither the constitution nor constitutional rights seem to exist at all. Out of control big government programs oppress the people and stiffle freedom. Fortunately for Peter and his family, his wife Jane's father lives in a rural area where sanity still prevails and government control has not yet been fully extended.
I don't know if Mr. Vasicek considers his work to be Libertarian science fiction but that is what I would label this story. Currently free from Amazon.
October 2, 2020
One of my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends recently gave this short e-story a very favorable review. Since it's free for Kindle, even though I wasn't familiar with the author, I thought I'd give it a try. It proved to be a worthwhile read, and would have been read in one sitting if I could have (my opportunities for reading on the Kindle app are sometimes erratic and scanty); its suspense factor is quite high.
I've recommended this for readers of dystopian fiction; it's set in the U.S. (the exact geographical area isn't specified any more particularly) about 40 years into our future, and I've classified it as science fiction. However, the science fiction element, as such, is not very marked, and what there is involves strictly speculation in social science, not technology or natural science. What Vasicek has done, for the most part, is simply to project the continuation of already marked socio-economic and political trends into the near future to see where they might take us. So his dystopia, seen through the eyes of a normal couple with an elementary-school-age son, is characterized by sharp division between a small minority of the very wealthy and the large majority of the very poor; rampant urban crime, and a lot of use of drones in policing; runaway inflation; a bureaucratic government that's inclined to spy on its citizens and criminalize dissent; and U.S. troops put in harm's way in the Third World to bolster an imperialistic foreign policy. None of these are novel phenomena in 2020 (and the same could be said of fortified schools that are more like prisons, and shoddy infrastructure); even drones as described here already exist, though they're not as routinely used. All that's new in these respects is the more extreme fruits of 40 years of the same, continuing unchecked; but though the United States isn't currently this dystopian, there are, and have been, real-world countries in the same boat. The one feature that's arguably an element of social science fiction here is UBI ("universal basic income"), which at present has been proposed by many on the Left but never enacted as such, even though all modern welfare states have tried to apply the concept to the "have-nots" --just not to the entire general population. However, beyond the fact that in the story it simply constantly chases rising prices rather than keeping up with them (and in fact triggers the rises whenever it rises --but this is already true of most attempts to unilaterally increase the money supply), its effects aren't analyzed in any detail and it doesn't serve as an obvious cause for the dystopian trends, which as noted above already preceded it.
UBI, ironically, played much more of a role in the genesis of the story than it does in the story itself. Vasicek originally wrote it, according to his Author's Note, for a writing contest sponsored by two pro-UBI organizations, which invited authors to write stories imagining its effects if enacted. That a story which is skeptical of the idea's utility didn't win that contest isn't surprising. The fact that over a two-year period, it was rejected by every genre magazine it was submitted to --not because the SF element is on the SF-lite side, but because it treats a hard-Left ideological sacred cow with something less than a genuflecting reverence-- is, IMO, scarier than any of the fictional social dysfunctions the story posits.
Overall, this is a gripping story, with characters that I came to care about, even though they're not very sharply drawn or developed in great detail. Like all dystopian fiction, it's intended to be a cautionary tale, inspiring readers to work towards a different future. It doesn't give any detailed program for how to do that, nor preach any particular ideological message (beyond the favorable treatment of family ties and loyalty), but that's not necessarily the function of fiction. It works more by encouraging an attitudinal recognition that, if the society depicted here isn't one we want, then what we do want is one that's more equitable, more democratic, more peaceful, more respectful of other human beings and more encouraging of their aspirations. In my estimation, that's a pretty good recognition to encourage!
I've recommended this for readers of dystopian fiction; it's set in the U.S. (the exact geographical area isn't specified any more particularly) about 40 years into our future, and I've classified it as science fiction. However, the science fiction element, as such, is not very marked, and what there is involves strictly speculation in social science, not technology or natural science. What Vasicek has done, for the most part, is simply to project the continuation of already marked socio-economic and political trends into the near future to see where they might take us. So his dystopia, seen through the eyes of a normal couple with an elementary-school-age son, is characterized by sharp division between a small minority of the very wealthy and the large majority of the very poor; rampant urban crime, and a lot of use of drones in policing; runaway inflation; a bureaucratic government that's inclined to spy on its citizens and criminalize dissent; and U.S. troops put in harm's way in the Third World to bolster an imperialistic foreign policy. None of these are novel phenomena in 2020 (and the same could be said of fortified schools that are more like prisons, and shoddy infrastructure); even drones as described here already exist, though they're not as routinely used. All that's new in these respects is the more extreme fruits of 40 years of the same, continuing unchecked; but though the United States isn't currently this dystopian, there are, and have been, real-world countries in the same boat. The one feature that's arguably an element of social science fiction here is UBI ("universal basic income"), which at present has been proposed by many on the Left but never enacted as such, even though all modern welfare states have tried to apply the concept to the "have-nots" --just not to the entire general population. However, beyond the fact that in the story it simply constantly chases rising prices rather than keeping up with them (and in fact triggers the rises whenever it rises --but this is already true of most attempts to unilaterally increase the money supply), its effects aren't analyzed in any detail and it doesn't serve as an obvious cause for the dystopian trends, which as noted above already preceded it.
UBI, ironically, played much more of a role in the genesis of the story than it does in the story itself. Vasicek originally wrote it, according to his Author's Note, for a writing contest sponsored by two pro-UBI organizations, which invited authors to write stories imagining its effects if enacted. That a story which is skeptical of the idea's utility didn't win that contest isn't surprising. The fact that over a two-year period, it was rejected by every genre magazine it was submitted to --not because the SF element is on the SF-lite side, but because it treats a hard-Left ideological sacred cow with something less than a genuflecting reverence-- is, IMO, scarier than any of the fictional social dysfunctions the story posits.
Overall, this is a gripping story, with characters that I came to care about, even though they're not very sharply drawn or developed in great detail. Like all dystopian fiction, it's intended to be a cautionary tale, inspiring readers to work towards a different future. It doesn't give any detailed program for how to do that, nor preach any particular ideological message (beyond the favorable treatment of family ties and loyalty), but that's not necessarily the function of fiction. It works more by encouraging an attitudinal recognition that, if the society depicted here isn't one we want, then what we do want is one that's more equitable, more democratic, more peaceful, more respectful of other human beings and more encouraging of their aspirations. In my estimation, that's a pretty good recognition to encourage!
August 23, 2020
Wow...this is very relevant in our current COVID climate....rather hellish ideas.
August 24, 2020
A timely read
I don't usually read short stories or novellas, but the premise of this book intrigued me. A plausible scenario that is so frightening you comprehend. Well written. I highly recommend to spend the 30 minutes to read this story.
I don't usually read short stories or novellas, but the premise of this book intrigued me. A plausible scenario that is so frightening you comprehend. Well written. I highly recommend to spend the 30 minutes to read this story.
January 5, 2022
Amazing and thought-provoking. Highly recommend.
May 15, 2021
A fun, suspenseful short adventure that looks into a dark future. The was a plausible scenario that was frightening to comprehend. Like all of his works, this was well written. I highly recommend to spend the hour of your of your time it takes to read this story.
August 21, 2022
This is not what UBI entails.
The author evoked his vision of the world well, based on what he thinks are the possible consequences of UBI.
However, I see no evidence that the author has engaged with the extensive research that argues against his fears. People on UBI are not disincentivized to work, and there is no evidence that runaway inflation would be the result of UBI. The way to solve destitution is to give people money. The feeling of security literally changes the brain and allows better empathy and long-range planning.
Speaking as a Christian theologian, the author’s first economic principle, “Those who do not work do not eat� is drawn from the New Testament, but he seems to ignore its cultural context: those who refuse to work are the rich, not the poor.
Speaking as a disabled person working hard on a PhD and living with permanent mobility issues, I don’t know where I would fit in “You must produce more than you consume.� Ayn Rand would say that disabled people as a class shouldn’t exist because we will always drain more than we contribute. Needless to say, I threw that essay across the room. Based on this short story, I don’t have a clear sense of how the author values human life.
I have learned recently that “taking the red pill� has been used by people considered alt-right by many to signal their disagreement with an allegedly leftist “matrix,� but I do not know what the author means by it in his afterward.
All of this being said, I liked his writing. I’m just not sure that his warning about UBI is based on any substantive engagement with research into its effectiveness.
The author evoked his vision of the world well, based on what he thinks are the possible consequences of UBI.
However, I see no evidence that the author has engaged with the extensive research that argues against his fears. People on UBI are not disincentivized to work, and there is no evidence that runaway inflation would be the result of UBI. The way to solve destitution is to give people money. The feeling of security literally changes the brain and allows better empathy and long-range planning.
Speaking as a Christian theologian, the author’s first economic principle, “Those who do not work do not eat� is drawn from the New Testament, but he seems to ignore its cultural context: those who refuse to work are the rich, not the poor.
Speaking as a disabled person working hard on a PhD and living with permanent mobility issues, I don’t know where I would fit in “You must produce more than you consume.� Ayn Rand would say that disabled people as a class shouldn’t exist because we will always drain more than we contribute. Needless to say, I threw that essay across the room. Based on this short story, I don’t have a clear sense of how the author values human life.
I have learned recently that “taking the red pill� has been used by people considered alt-right by many to signal their disagreement with an allegedly leftist “matrix,� but I do not know what the author means by it in his afterward.
All of this being said, I liked his writing. I’m just not sure that his warning about UBI is based on any substantive engagement with research into its effectiveness.
June 20, 2020
Here we have an interesting take on what might happen if social justice reform becomes reality. Income inequality is a real problem around the world today. It has been suggested, in the United States, that universal basic income (UBI) be legislated into law. Vasicek has written a speculative tale where UBI has been enacted, and it results in devaluation of the dollar and runaway inflation. In other words, his warning is 'be careful what you wish for.'
As interesting as the story is, the Author's Note at the end provides both insight into the author's stance on UBI and the impetus for the story� namely a contest by io9 and the Economic Security Project. I pretty much always read what a writer has to say about his or her own work when it is included. I developed this habit as a Stephen King fan and his ubiquitous "Dear Constant Reader." These notes often clarify what may have been implied in the story.
"Payday" is a fast read and provides definite food for thought.
As interesting as the story is, the Author's Note at the end provides both insight into the author's stance on UBI and the impetus for the story� namely a contest by io9 and the Economic Security Project. I pretty much always read what a writer has to say about his or her own work when it is included. I developed this habit as a Stephen King fan and his ubiquitous "Dear Constant Reader." These notes often clarify what may have been implied in the story.
"Payday" is a fast read and provides definite food for thought.
February 26, 2023
Brilliant and Prescient
Instead of near future, it feels like now. Its hard to imagine this was written pre-Covid, when the massive waves of inflation from unrestricted government spending were still more abstract and conceptual and easy to ignore. We still have the shielding of an in-demand currency - if the world’s reliance on the petrodollar shatters we may see this very scenario quite soon. The anecdote of submitting this to a pro-UBI contest is also amusing.ÌýÌý
This should defintiely be put back for sale on Amazon, I would heartily recommend it to readers that I know. I have a few of this author’s books that I have been ignoring in my Amazon library that I bumped to the top of my reading list because of this.
Instead of near future, it feels like now. Its hard to imagine this was written pre-Covid, when the massive waves of inflation from unrestricted government spending were still more abstract and conceptual and easy to ignore. We still have the shielding of an in-demand currency - if the world’s reliance on the petrodollar shatters we may see this very scenario quite soon. The anecdote of submitting this to a pro-UBI contest is also amusing.ÌýÌý
This should defintiely be put back for sale on Amazon, I would heartily recommend it to readers that I know. I have a few of this author’s books that I have been ignoring in my Amazon library that I bumped to the top of my reading list because of this.
January 26, 2021
Short but the story didn't suffer. A lot to think about. The ideas expressed in Mr. Vasicek's short story actually scare me a bit. I consider myself a bit of a liberal, but I do agree that working for one's living is ideal. I'm just not sure if this story is visionary or pure fiction. In either view, it still disturbed me a little. I guess that's a good thing though. It means the author got me to think.
June 28, 2021
Frightening
The on rushing political climate is paralleled very realistically in the story. The fear of cities falling to anarchy is realistically portrayed and the characters are believable and seem to be right out of the fake news of today
The on rushing political climate is paralleled very realistically in the story. The fear of cities falling to anarchy is realistically portrayed and the characters are believable and seem to be right out of the fake news of today
November 19, 2021
Double down on Double Dollars
Payday is perfectly matched to current economic times. Hyperinflation fueled by government supplements of universal basic income has lead to chaos as society collapses into classic dystopia.
Payday is perfectly matched to current economic times. Hyperinflation fueled by government supplements of universal basic income has lead to chaos as society collapses into classic dystopia.
September 10, 2020
Good read but the afterword by author turned my stomach.not what I believe.
January 7, 2025
Review of eBook
When Peter is notified [along with everyone else] that the monthly Universal Basic Income to be deposited into everyone’s account had risen to $324.900, he and his wife, Jane, realize that this large increase means the cost of everything will rapidly rise to more than three times the current cost.
This was bad . . . they were hardly holding on now. Can their little family find a way to survive an economy that just kept making things harder and harder?
Or is it time for them to put their backup plan into play?
=========
One of the author’s many short story singles, “Payday� follows Peter and his family as they struggle to make ends meet in an ever-more-dire economy. Readers may find this story to be of special interest, given recent inflation issues.
Although there is minimal character development, readers are certain to empathize with Peter and his family. The telling of this tale keeps readers involved, turning those pages as fast as possible.
Intriguing and offering a few surprises along the way, readers are sure to find this dystopian tale both thought-provoking and premonitory. Readers who enjoy speculative fiction and/or dystopian tales will find much to appreciate in this captivating tale.
Highly recommended.
When Peter is notified [along with everyone else] that the monthly Universal Basic Income to be deposited into everyone’s account had risen to $324.900, he and his wife, Jane, realize that this large increase means the cost of everything will rapidly rise to more than three times the current cost.
This was bad . . . they were hardly holding on now. Can their little family find a way to survive an economy that just kept making things harder and harder?
Or is it time for them to put their backup plan into play?
=========
One of the author’s many short story singles, “Payday� follows Peter and his family as they struggle to make ends meet in an ever-more-dire economy. Readers may find this story to be of special interest, given recent inflation issues.
Although there is minimal character development, readers are certain to empathize with Peter and his family. The telling of this tale keeps readers involved, turning those pages as fast as possible.
Intriguing and offering a few surprises along the way, readers are sure to find this dystopian tale both thought-provoking and premonitory. Readers who enjoy speculative fiction and/or dystopian tales will find much to appreciate in this captivating tale.
Highly recommended.
November 20, 2020
Interesting short story about life in a country with a Universal Basic Income. It sounds like a good idea, but things aren't as good as they seem. Thought-provoking. Fairly short, worth the time to read.
November 20, 2020
A stunning look at the potential impact of our country’s current economic policy!
Joe provides a gritting hard hitting look at the future we may be heading towards in the United States. A must read for anyone that can see the future in the stories of science fiction.
Joe provides a gritting hard hitting look at the future we may be heading towards in the United States. A must read for anyone that can see the future in the stories of science fiction.
April 5, 2021
a bleak cautionary tale of the ramifications of universal basic income. Rampant inflation destroys the value of everything. A man and his family escape to his father's farm, which is self suffient.
April 7, 2024
In the near future, runaway inflation and supply chain shortages are the norm. When payday arrives, there's usually a crime surge and unrest. This month is worse than usual so a family decides to leave the city before it's too late.
May 5, 2024
The future without the means to support ourselves
The more I read of this author's writings the more I appreciate. I see signs of this possible future raising over the last 5 years.
I enjoy this story and hope to read more like it.
The more I read of this author's writings the more I appreciate. I see signs of this possible future raising over the last 5 years.
I enjoy this story and hope to read more like it.
January 27, 2021
Engaging short story about a possible future
Story unfolds well and portrays a very possible future. Universal basic income is not a panacae for current societal ailments!
Story unfolds well and portrays a very possible future. Universal basic income is not a panacae for current societal ailments!
October 31, 2021
Not sure whether I agree with the premise of this story but it's thought-provoking and well-written.
December 13, 2021
A gripping story about a depressing dystopia. The story serves as a cautionary tale about unregulated markets and a world where the means of production stay in the hands of the elite.
August 25, 2023
Quite distressing but a nice read
August 24, 2021
Interesting
This short story by Joe Vasicek is, as I say, interesting. I wish it could be more, since the competition prompt it was written to offered a great deal of conceptual running room for an author to explore. As it stands, it ends up being predictable and trite in a very politically and economically ultra - conservative way.
The writing itself is sound enough, with nothing to derail the eye or ear. It is simply an underprocessed idea that lets the rest of the story, and ultimately the reader, down.
This short story by Joe Vasicek is, as I say, interesting. I wish it could be more, since the competition prompt it was written to offered a great deal of conceptual running room for an author to explore. As it stands, it ends up being predictable and trite in a very politically and economically ultra - conservative way.
The writing itself is sound enough, with nothing to derail the eye or ear. It is simply an underprocessed idea that lets the rest of the story, and ultimately the reader, down.
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