"In an Afrofuturist world of barbaric debt police and an absurd heist to bring it all down, The Payback is a delightfully dark comedy of three coworkers-turned-conspirators hell-bent on revenge. This trio of Robin Hoods taking matters into their own hands out of grief and desperation will have you alternating between raucous laughs and fear for their safety. California strip malls, 80s fashion, punk and hacker culture, all combine in a tenacious cocktail of sweet justice shared by all." --Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming and Anita de Monte Laughs Last

Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
A Phenomenal Book Club Pick
Named a Best Book by Today, People, InsideHook, Stylecaster
Named a Most Anticipated Book by The Washington Post, Bustle, Vulture, Salon, Oprah Daily, The Millions, and more

"[A] pretty withering comedy . . . and as [Cauley] turns her splendidly dry humor on the antics of the apocalypse-obsessed she reserves her indignation for the bloodsucking business practices that keep employees in a state of paranoid competition. Holding a job, finding an affordable place to live, starting a family--this is what 21st-century survivalism is really about." --Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal

"[A] lethally witty debut . . . One might expect a novel about gun-toting, conspiracy-minded loners to lampoon its key players, but the book succeeds because Cauley appears as curious and empathetic toward the survivalists as she is toward her protagonist . . . Cauley, a former writer for The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, displays an enviably versatile sense of humor. The novel is most fun when her wit bolsters the narrative's sociopolitical underpinnings, as when she describes a 'house full of mysterious, unexplainable rich-people' paraphernalia, 'like gazebos.' Funny because they're true, such jabs give the book its verve but also its depth. " --Laura Warrell, The New York Times Book Review

"Inventive . . . Cauley, a former staff writer for Trevor Noah's The Daily Show and columnist for The New York Times, has shown herself to be a master of diagnosing our nation's troubles through acerbic humor . . . Cauley's quick wit flickers across these pages as her comedy carries us from scene to scene . . . There's a nail-biting urgency to the juxtaposition of Aretha's fledgling survivalism and her increasingly clumsy performance at work, contributing to the sense that The Survivalists would make for a thrilling screen adaptation." --Lovia Gyarkye, The Washington Post

"Learn her name, because Cauley is one of the funniest writers at work today, period." --Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times

"Cauley's book is as comedic as is it caffeinated . . . The Survivalists has notes of darkness and a well-balanced acidity that shouldn't come as a surprise to readers of Cauley's opinion pieces for GQ, The Atlantic, and The New York Times, among others . . . Cauley's prose is often laugh-out-loud funny . . . the author is wonderfully attuned to matters of Blackness and the ways a current generation lives, enjoys, and--yes--suffers." --Lisa Kennedy, The Boston Globe

"A great and engrossing read, Kashana humanizes a way of life that is often made fun of and makes the reader understand why someone would go to such great lengths to prepare for the future, so much so she almost sold me on those Life Preserver soy bars!" --Trevor Noah

"This is a banger of a book!" --Samantha Irby