Yes, I remember that story myself. Good one.
Here’s an oldie - but with remarkably hopeful aspects: “You Were Right, Joe” by JT MacIntosh Galaxy Magazine (November 1957) : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
I appreciate all of the suggestions here. Some great stories, but nothing that could replace Russell’s “And Then There Were None” as a view into a working community without hierarchy and with some communitarian politics and assumptions. The great thing about this piece is the satire and humour, and that is missing from so much SF. It all seems to reflect the sad observation that in these times we find it easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism. Thanks, everyone, for your help, even if we were unsuccessful.
Thanks for getting back to us - let us know how the students like the Russell and we’ll owe you an ob
An ob?
Haven’t thought about this thread in a while, but now I do have another book to ask about.
I am 68 and I read this book while in junior high, definitely before high school. The story starts on a rather bleak planet where, hundreds of years ago, a group of humans settled after escaping from an Earth that was about to be devestated by a meteor shower. These people have a dictatorial society. They are going to send a rocket to Earth to see if it could be lived on again, and two young people, a boy and a girl, are selected to go along to see how their bodies tolerate space flight. The ship does reach Earth and there are still humans living there, in a small villages sort of society. The boy(I can’t remember names) sees birds flying and refers to them as “cat things with wings” as he once saw a short film of a cat. His people had brought no animals with them originally. He and some of the other crew end up staying on Earth, when one of them takes the ship to give a bad story about what Earth is like. They don’t want their folks taking over if the Earth is found to be habitable.
I remember a lot of plot points buy no names, and not the author. Does this ring a bell? I liked the book back when, and I wonder if I have recalled things correctly.
Freedom: I Will!
In Russell’s novella, the economy works based on obligations–obs–people incur and exchange. You want a meal at my diner? I’ll give you one, and now you owe me. But there’s nothing I want or need from you. I do owe Andy-L an ob, though, for his research, so you can work off my ob to him and your ob to me by fixing his gutter. And I promise to feed the fire department, thus planting future obs as insurance. Russell is also alleged to created the acronym MYOB, or Mind Your Own Business. The name of the planet is Gand, after Gandhi, and their motto is F-IW, for Freedom–I Won’t. It’s more sophisticated than this suggests, and funny when the imperial space fleet from earth shows up.
Sort of like whuffie.
https://nancyfriedman.typepad.com/away_with_words/2009/03/word-of-the-week-whuffie.html
In Stranger in A Strange Land, that is how the Martian society operates. And when Valentine Smith comes to Earth and encounters currency, he has an epiphany that currency is a way to exchange obligations with other people, even those you don’t know personally and don’t necessarily trust.
Yes. Whuffie is probably inspired by Russell’s ob, though Russell’s characters strongly dislike having a favor debt and try to get square as soon as they can, while Doctorow’s folks are less worried about it (being essentially immortal probably helps)
And as the other Kropotkin noted, in a world where scarcity is not an issue (an economic state we reached in the late 19th century) we have no need to use such careful accounting.
That’s the standard explanation for the development of money/currency, something Heinlein would know much about from his flirtation with Social Credit.
The dwarves of Discworld also use obs, though in addition to, not instead of, conventional gold coins. While there’s no established exchange rate, obs are generally regarded as more valuable, especially when it’s someone like a witch who owes you an ob.
I’ve used Russell before, and students mostly enjoy it, but note that it feels “dated,” while international students struggle with the made-up words and cultural assumptions. These assumptions are also part of what some students see as its dated feel. Many (no matter what you do in a class, there is nothing that will work for everyone) like the piece as a way to critique empire and capitalism and love the resistance of the Gands, which is determined, effective, and non-violent. Students tend to say that in “real life,” such resistance would likely be met by state violence. The idea of not having a boss, small communities, and creative, small-scale technology appeals to many, but again, the “how do we get there?” question is daunting. As one student put it, “if this is like an English medieval village with running water, sewage systems, and electricity, I’m in! What do I do now?”
It’s not as bad as it might have been, though. It’s pretty clear that women also get to say “I won’t!” and have it taken for granted that’ll be respected.
Given the time, I think it is a gem, and I hope in vain,I fear, for a contemporary piece that could replace it!
I love all of Russell’s stories I’ve read.
Thanks for the explanation, Kropotkin.
Jack Vance’s alien society in my favorite short story of his, “The Moon Moth,” also is cashless, but is based on social status or strakh. Artists and craftspeople vie to provide goods and services to those of high prestige and great repute in Sirene society. I doubt it would work IRL, but it’s an interesting premise.
Post-Apocalyse story, I think there’s like a nuclear war at the start of the book that among other things knocks out all power. A group of 18th century American Revolution reenactors with muskets wind up taking over a town and using their knowledge of of old technology without electricity to get society back on track. It’s 100% a book written by a reenactor justifying their hobby to themselves.