Max Barry is an Australian author born on March 18, 1973. He is known for his insightful and often satirical writings on politics and corporate culture. Barry first published his novel Syrup under the name "Maxx," but later reverted to "Max."

Barry gained additional fame as the creator of NationStates, an online game originally designed to promote his book Jennifer Government. The game developed into a thriving online community. He is also the proprietor of "Tales of Corporate Oppression," a website dedicated to his works and themes.

Before embarking on his writing career, Barry worked as a marketer for Hewlett-Packard. He resides in Melbourne with his wife and daughters.

Barry's website, maxbarry.com, started as a blog in 2004, where he frequently updates readers on his thoughts and projects. His novel Company was recognized in the November 2004 issue of Fast Company magazine, ranking eighth on their list of top 100 "people, ideas, and trends that will change how we work and live in 2005."

In addition to his novels, Barry ventured into screenwriting, adapting his book Syrup into a screenplay for a film released on June 7, 2013. Universal Pictures acquired the screen rights to Company, with Steve Pink set to adapt it. Jennifer Government was optioned by Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney’s now-defunct Section Eight Productions. His book Machine Man began as an online serial and was later published by Vintage Books in 2011, with film rights obtained by Mandalay Pictures.