- On the Brink (Krugman) - "A 1978 novel about hyperinflation in America. The villain was a thinly disguised George McGovern...I can’t tell you how much it pains me to realize that I still remember all of that; what a waste of neurons!"
- The Last War (Cowen) - "Is there a monetary theme in H.G. Wells's The Last War?; Wells was a follower of Frederick Soddy. How about from 19th century England? From science fiction? Isn't there mutual banking in Eric Frank Russell?"
- The Grapes of Wrath (Klein) - "If you're willing to include novels about the effects of monetary policy, pretty much any novel about the Great Depression counts, and The Grapes of Wrath is particularly eloquent on the subject."
- Making Money (Klein commenter) - "From the ever so insightful Terry Pratchett. One of the best and most entertaining novels about how our monetary system works (by magic of course)."
- Interface (Yglesias) - "Basically about the effort of a shadowy cabal to stage a coup aimed at preventing the US from defaulting on the national debt."
- Snow Crash (Yglesias) "Gives the initial impression of a standard postapocalyptic “cyberpunk” scenario, but it swiftly becomes clear that there’s been no war here."
- Great Simoleon Caper (Yglesias) - "Short story offers an alternative path to currency anarchy in which encryption and the digitization of money lead to a breakdown of the tax system."
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Erik Hayden



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