January Fifteenth is a near-future, science fiction novella plotted around the implementation of Universal Basic Income in the United States; to do this, it focuses on the stories of four different women and what they do as disbursement day—January 15th—approaches.

It’s clear this novella is thought out and well-researched. It definitely provides realistic (if harrowing) depictions of what UBI might look like in practice instead of in theory. Aside from a few places, this novella reads like it could be set in the present day rather than the near future. I appreciated the diversity in the main cast and their different walks of life.

What was lacking for me in this novella was depth of character. January Fifteenth felt almost academic in tone, glossy and polished. I think this will work for some readers, but to me, I wish the four main characters had been a little more robust and developed. Without investment in their stakes, the overall arc of the novella fell flat to me, especially since there’s intentionally not much detail given to UBI and how it works in this world as well.

If an exploration of the human impact of Universal Basic Income interests you as a reader, January Fifteenth may work better for you. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a standout for me.

Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.