Informative Analysis Essay on Max Barry

Azure Davis

Instructor J.R Huspeth

ENG 102

25 May 2019

Informative Analysis Essay on Max Barry

Max Barry, a 46 year old author, is a popular sci-fi and satire writer who started his love for writing as a young man. Although he began tinkering with writing stories of sci-fi and horror while still in high school, his first book wasn’t published until 1999. Barry states while answering a random blog post, “Showing my books to people is the worst part about writing, because they stop existing as beautiful imaginative creations full of wonder and possibility, and turn into chunks of paper with plot holes and unclear character motivations that need a lot of work”. Max Barry is a native Aussie and ex-corporate techie turned author who uses his knowledge about America’s consumerism mixed with snarky humor to plot his numerous corporate satire novels has become an American favorite in the sci-fi scene. He gives you a great mix of the creative and comical. Max Barry’s expression that consumers are manufactured to benefit the corporate culture and wealth generation will be detailed as the overall objective sighted.

He credits his current career to Hewlett-Packard where he previously worked as a salesman. Max thanks HP for his wealth of corporate knowledge which he uses as the basis for his corporate satire novels. Barry now has five published novels to include: Syrup (written while working at Hewlett Packard), Jennifer Government, Company, Machine Man and his most recent, Lexicon published in 2013. After a long silence, 7 years, Max will be publishing Providence due to release in the Spring 2020. Max however, is not only known for his sci-fi novels (three of which he has screen plays for) he is also the creator of the popular online video game The Nation States, a video game idea based on his novel, Jennifer Government. He also runs a personal website and blog page.

Barry began his love for writing while still in high school, with short stories of horror and science fiction. As his novels began to develop Barry continued his trend for sci-fi which has carried through all five published novels. He caters to an audience that enjoys his knack for comical corporate satire, marketing banter and consumerism. Barry’s debut novel Syrup was published in 1999 and released as a screen play in 2013. Jennifer Government was released in 2002, a satire on marketing and globalization starring a Government agent who sports a barcode tattoo. Four years later, in 2006, Barry introduces his third novel Company continuing his corporate satire trend; this time focused on Management. He takes his writing career back to his roots in Machine Man which wasn’t published until 2011 being focused more on sci-fi and distanced from corporate satire. Maxs’ latest work came about in 2013 with Lexicon which was an award winner. Max is definitely leaving his print within the sci-fi genre with fans and critics alike.

Barry has proven his talent in the Sci-Fi and is getting great reviews from the critics who describe his work as mind-blowing, hilarious and funny. LA Times noted Syrup, as “one of the best books of the year” and in 2003 Jennifer Government was said to be, “The most fun you’ll find in a book store this year” by Timeout New York. Company has New York Times raving about it as well calling it, “Barry’s break out book”. Machine Man which is considered to be so good that one critic says, “Don’t open it unless you’re prepared to keep reading until the last page” (Godin) and Lexicon was named “one of the top ten books of the year” by TIME Magazine. On the other hand community readers are split, some agreeing with the professionals while others say his writings are not funny, have no depth and present boring characters. Most people love his satire on corporate culture especially those with a background in the corporate world; but some feel as an author he could find a better use for his talent than stating the obvious; corporations don’t care about their employees.

Barry speaks highly of Jennifer Government as his favorite novel written. Prior to becoming an author Max had the privilege of experiencing the corporate world first hand at Hewlett Packard which is an information technology company. There he was able to take the knowledge he learned about corporations and turn it into a career move as a full-time writer. This book was written as a commentary on consumers being controlled by corporations. The consumer is controlled by the corporation which is implied by the requirement that employees have to adopt the surname of the corporation they work for.

Although the book was passed up by two different publishers before being picked up by Doubleday, most critics seem to enjoy it. While Grossman states “Barry is a smart writer with a Cassandra’s gift for dark edged prognostication” (Maxbarry.com, 2019). “The story should be depressing but the author manages to make it extremely funny” (Maxbarry.com, 2019). The review by Kim Newman states “The novel is a fast read peppered with neat gags about corporations that run out of control and their tendency to crush real people. It’s structured like a combination of action movie and farce, as a largish cast runs the world and the brand name characters seem off the shelf” (Maxbarry.com, 2019). While everyone won’t always be a fan, Barry has a pretty decent following for Jennifer Government.