Campfyre Stories

I just finished reading this book, Jennifer Government, by Max Barry.  This is the novel that the game, Nation States is based upon.

What a cool story!  I’m not quite sure if I would classify it as Science Fiction, but that’s the closest categorization that I, personally, can fit it to. 

In this novel, corporations run the world.  Everything is based on Alliances of corporations, including the police force, which is affiliated with one of the two major alliances.  The government tries to enforce various laws and regulations that the corporations attempt to skirt.  Schools are privately owned by corporations and everyone takes the last name of where they work or go to school.  (So, for example, we have Katie Mattel, Hack Nike, Claire Sears and, yes, Jennifer Government.)

It’s not a huge stretch to think that this could happen within our lifetimes.  I’m not so paranoid to think that it will, but it certainly *could* and it wouldn’t surprise me much at all. 

It was an excellent book, telling an excellent story and making sure to wrap up the loose ends by the end.  It was almost *too* well-written…  there’s a certain element of unfinished business that I’m accustomed to, but that wasn’t very blatant for me.

Anyone who plays Nation States should read this book, but I also think that there’s a wide audience out there that would simply love the book just for what it is, a unique look at where corporate culture in the US could, potentially lead us one day.

I like how Max Barry’s mind works.  I may have to check out his other book.

~FG };^>