I read a book years ago, and I want to find it again.

It was a science fiction story, and "no, it was not Starship Troopers."

The story is set in a future dystopia where America is divided into "citizens" and "taxpayers," which was basically an enhanced form of citizenship. Greater privileges and greater access to resources. VERY few people were "taxpayers."

The main character was from a "citizen" family ... as I recall his parents were university professors. But he ran in circles where his friends were all from taxpayer families, and he was always dealing with their assumption that he too was from a taxpayer family.

Any help would be appreciated.

This post was edited on 2/11/21 at 10:55 am

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Posted by hogfly

Fayetteville, AR

Member since May 2014

4921 posts

Posted on 2/11/21 at 11:20 am to AggieHank86

I haven't read it, but some google sleuthrinog turned up:

LINK

quote:
The United States of the CoDominium Era is a welfare state divided into two social classes: Citizens and Taxpayers. "Citizens" are welfare dependents who are required to live in walled sections of cities called "Welfare Islands." People are given whatever they need, including the drugs like Borloi to keep them pacified. There are no limits to how long they can stay on welfare, except that they must live in a Welfare Island. Although people are free to gain an education and work or become a colonist, many citizens did not, preferring to live their whole lives supported by the government. Generally citizens are uneducated and illiterate. Some BuReLoc involuntary colonists are Citizens. By the late CD era, the Welfare Islands were three generations old. "Taxpayers" are the working, educated, and privileged upper class. They carry identification cards to separate them from Citizens.

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Posted by AggieHank86

Texas

Member since Sep 2013

44345 posts

Posted on 2/11/21 at 11:32 am to hogfly

That is definitely what I was looking for.

I have read MANY of the books set in that universe, including Mote in God's Eye and The Gripping Hand (both set long after the period I described).

Now, I just have to figure which of the books it is that I had in mind.

Thanks so very much!

EDIT:

The character is John Christian Falkenberg III, and the "book" is actually a five-book series. Hard to believe that I read them almost 30 years ago.

Again, many thanks.

This post was edited on 2/11/21 at 11:54 am

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Posted by Midget Death Squad