One of the first things to keep in mind is that an economic system is not a money system. A money system is part of the economic system, but economy is so much more.
An economy is about how the resources of a world are exploited and how the wealth created by that exploitation is spread around. Closely related to the economic system is the political system because that describes how the people that deal with all this wealth and activity are organized, and the two are always closely tied together.
As human history has shown there are many, many ways to organize both economic systems and governments. What is important to your believability is internal consistency. For example: suppose you have taken time to describe a Stone Age family living in a grass hut by the beach as part of a Stone Age village.
The cell phone is not coming from the Stone Age, barter-based economy you have been setting up. Is it believable? Jeffrygrimes .It can be if your story includes elements of culture differences as part of its theme, or perhaps a touch of humor.
This could be part of a story about the lives of villagers next to a new alien city that has sprung up recently or something ala The Flintstones. Computershopjeddah
But if this is a dramatic fantasy story about Vikings, sirens and maidens, this scene is going to be tough sledding. The lesson here is: Have the economy support the story.
Decide what the story is about, and then weave an economic setting around that premise. The story can be about the economy, or the impact of a new technology, that’s fine, but take the time to figure out the implications of the economy or technology.
Some common pitfalls the most common pitfall I see in stories is scale. Here is an example: The messenger rushes in, bows before the king, and relates the bad news. The king’s face darkens with outrage. He shouts, “GENERAL MAYHEM!”
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