"Billennium" by James Graham Ballard is a dystopian short story in which the human population has soared. In order to sustain the large amounts of people, most of the land is designated for farming and agriculture. This leaves everybody scrambling for a space to live in the cities. Due to the limited amount of space, sanctions are put on how much space an individual may have, and these allotments are known as "cubicles."

The story focuses on two friends, John Ward and Henry Rossiter, who struggle to find better living accommodations. One day, they accidentally discover an entire room hidden behind their cubicle. They rejoice in this newfound open space and soon move into the room. Aware that two young women, Judith and Helen, had recently lost their cubicles, the men extend invitations for them to live in the room with them. The girls take them up on the offer, but as time goes on, their relatives also move into the room. Before long, the room is just as crowded as any other space, and Ward resents his newfound position as a landlord.

The story centers around two friends, John Ward and Henry Rossiter. They live in the distant future and struggle to find balance in their lives.

The story is set in the distant future, as the title Billennium, would suggest. There are nearly twenty million people and they are squashed into a city. Having this many people has put an enormous amount of pressure on space. The city council meets and decides that the amount of space an individual can occupy is only thirty eight square feet. John Ward and Henry Rossiter are friends and they share a living space together. They both have jobs, but can barely get by. While they are at work one day, they decide to knock down their cubicle. During this time, Ward finds a forgotten room. The two friends are so excited to find this room, because they have never had this much space before. They decide to invite their girlfriends to live with them, who in turn, invite their families. With so many people now living in the room, Ward decides to become the landlord. He has always hated landlords and thought they were unfair and only after the money. The more he starts making money, the more he becomes just what he always hated. He has now put making money over enjoying and living in the new found space.

This story really is a wake up call for people. It makes us question how society has become so money hungry and only wanting more and more. Though published in 1962, the story has many elements of today's time. How are we treating each other? Is money more important than enjoying our life and friends? These are just a couple of questions this story makes us ask ourselves.