Money is the Root of All Good

"Money is the Root of All Good" by Patrick Wilkins is a mid-20th century science fiction novella that explores the planet Lyrane, where people once earned rewards for good acts and thoughts instead of regular work. This special economy, first seen as perfect, starts to fall apart because of tricks and outside forces, causing problems for everyone. The story is about Roald Gibbons, the new leader of Universal Relief, as he deals with a big stock market crash on Lyrane. As the rich business people stop making things because of threats and a rival company called Galactic Aid, the planet becomes violent and chaotic. The story shows the personal struggles of Erol Garbin and his daughter Yma as they cope with what happens when this type of economy fails. In the end, Roald finds a bigger plot behind the mess, which shows the book's ideas about power, morality, and the dangers of messing with money. A big change happens at the end that tries to bring back Lyrane's old, good values while fixing the unfair things that happened to its people.