{"id":6703,"date":"2022-07-04T12:21:49","date_gmt":"2022-07-04T04:21:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jonathanstrahan.com.au\/wp\/?p=6703"},"modified":"2022-07-04T12:21:49","modified_gmt":"2022-07-04T04:21:49","slug":"episode-582-rachel-swirsky-and-the-universality-of-caring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jonathanstrahan.com.au\/wp\/2022\/07\/04\/episode-582-rachel-swirsky-and-the-universality-of-caring\/","title":{"rendered":"Episode 582: Rachel Swirsky and the Universality of Caring"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"jan15.jpeg\"<\/a>For the first week in July, we\u2019re joined by Nebula Award winner Rachel Swirsky<\/a>, whose novella\u00a0January Fift<\/em>eenth<\/a> ( just out from Tordotcom) is a provocative exploration of the idea of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as it might play out in the lives of four women in very different circumstances. We touch upon Rachel\u2019s decision to focus on characters rather than systems, to set the tale in a recognizable near future, and to deliberately restrain from many science-fictional bells and whistles.<\/p>\n

This leads to how SF deals, too rarely, with questions of economic policy and the effects on individual lives \u2014in the case of January Fift<\/em>eenth<\/a>, a woman escaping from an abusive ex-spouse, a journalist covering the effects of UBI, a well-off college student whose friends deliberately waste their annual checks, and a young member of a repressive religious cult. As usual, we touch upon what\u2019s next for Rachel, including an intriguing collaboration with Ann Leckie.<\/p>\n

As always, our thanks to Rachel for making the time to talk to us. We hope you enjoy the episode!<\/p>\n