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Anarchy: A Novel
A potent satire of American culture in an era of media overexposure, where what we are told replaces truth and what we see on television becomes our religion. A logic-defying, plot, encompassing the exploding breasts of a surgically enhanced TV star, Eva Braun's diet pills, a forged O.J. Simpson murder tape, a cult of fundamentalist tech heads, and a profanity-obsessed Russian mafia hit man, leads all the way over the top when a vision of Catherine Deneuve encourages James to take out God. James Robert Baker is the author of Testosterone, Tim & Pete, Boy Wonder, Fuel-Injected Dreams ,and Adrenaline . On November 5, 1997, he committed suicide.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 24, 2016
The plot specifics are joyously bonkers (I couldn't NOT read it after that pitch) and on the surface, it's just a ripping tale. But Baker's last posthumously published book takes on an unnerving relevance in an age where celebrity and shock tactics can create a POTUS, backed by z-list celebrities and fundamentalist right-wingers. There's a profound, unexpected sense of foreboding to this book now that might have been laughed off fifteen years ago. Read Anarchy in all its craziness and think on that.
March 15, 2022
I loved Baker's Tim & Pete, but this is three shades too glib. Gave up halfway through.
December 16, 2021
If Anarchy wasn't written by James Robert Baker and if it wasn't so compulsively readable it would be absolutely absurd.
The plot is all over the board: James Robert Baker is the protagonist of the novel. After thwarting a hostage situation of the Sea Crew cast (a thinly veiled reference to Baywatch whose buxom star Patti Grant bears a remarkable likeness to Pamela what's-her-name), James is recruited by a police officer to retrieve a videotape that may actually depict OJ murdering Nicole.
Suddenly James finds himself in possession of the questionable tape; pursued by a bloodthirsty Russian named Vlad; in search of Eva Braun's elusive diet pills; infiltrating a right wing religious fundamentalist nudist colony; and attempting to save Patti Grant from her obsessed plastic surgeon who has placed bombs in her implants. That's not the half of it—there are shootouts, an ever-increasing body count (some without heads), and an afterlife experience involving Catherine Deneuve and a plot to kill God.
Posthumously condensed, edited and published from a largely unfocused manuscript after Baker's unfortunate and untimely suicide, Anarchy doesn't read the same as other Baker novels. Although it is well edited, it still has an unfinished feel to it.
Baker's trademark wry sense of humor that skewers celebrity culture and right wing fundamentalism is still evident yet there's a greater emphasis on action driven plot instead of descriptive narrative, and a huge lack of the blatant in-your-face (homo)sexuality for which Baker is well known. One can't help but wonder what Baker really had in mind with Anarchy.
Anarchy is a must read for any Baker fan or for someone willing to suspend all disbelief for a couple of hours to go on an action packed, over-the-top wild goose chase of a ride.
The plot is all over the board: James Robert Baker is the protagonist of the novel. After thwarting a hostage situation of the Sea Crew cast (a thinly veiled reference to Baywatch whose buxom star Patti Grant bears a remarkable likeness to Pamela what's-her-name), James is recruited by a police officer to retrieve a videotape that may actually depict OJ murdering Nicole.
Suddenly James finds himself in possession of the questionable tape; pursued by a bloodthirsty Russian named Vlad; in search of Eva Braun's elusive diet pills; infiltrating a right wing religious fundamentalist nudist colony; and attempting to save Patti Grant from her obsessed plastic surgeon who has placed bombs in her implants. That's not the half of it—there are shootouts, an ever-increasing body count (some without heads), and an afterlife experience involving Catherine Deneuve and a plot to kill God.
Posthumously condensed, edited and published from a largely unfocused manuscript after Baker's unfortunate and untimely suicide, Anarchy doesn't read the same as other Baker novels. Although it is well edited, it still has an unfinished feel to it.
Baker's trademark wry sense of humor that skewers celebrity culture and right wing fundamentalism is still evident yet there's a greater emphasis on action driven plot instead of descriptive narrative, and a huge lack of the blatant in-your-face (homo)sexuality for which Baker is well known. One can't help but wonder what Baker really had in mind with Anarchy.
Anarchy is a must read for any Baker fan or for someone willing to suspend all disbelief for a couple of hours to go on an action packed, over-the-top wild goose chase of a ride.
February 21, 2008
Listen - I'm going to give every James Robert Baker book a five or four star rating. He was brilliant, and changed the face of gay fiction. You don't have to be gay to read his stuff, but it was the first time in my life that I found characters that could be gay, the lead, and not die from drugs, sex, or at the hands of homophobia. That said, there's a lot of drugs, sex and homophobia in these books. But in a good way.
June 30, 2021
The gonzo adventures of a queer writer and man of action, also named James Robert Baker, as he outfoxes and battles Russian mafiosi, neo-Nazis, and evil fundamentalist Christians. (Hmm, I think we hit all the major arch villain groups.) "Gonzo adventure" is a quote from the text, and Baker namedrops Hunter Thompson. I forget, the protagonist also ends up in bed with attractive and intriguing men that he encounters. Obviously lightweight, but quite entertaining.
September 9, 2023
This is the first book by Baker I read and I have been chasing his other writings ever since. This is a wonderfully anarchic and funny book. I suppose it is obscene and transgressive and would probable appal some people. I love and loved it. It should be read by anyone and everyone. It is filthy and depraved and full of sex, drugs, booze and outrageous behaviour. If non of that interests you well, read something else, the loss is yours. For any of us who lived, loved and did stupid, wonderful things it is right up our streets.
February 17, 2023
I have had this book for maybe a decade. In that time, I have moved between four cities, two countries, and a dozens houses. Somehow, despite never getting past page 5, this book always made my packing box. The last thirty pages are ripped up from a German Shepard teething at some point. Having no idea what was inside, the bite marks seemed to make sense, both thematically as this queer trashy 90s aesthetic, and as a sign of all the wear n tear of my journeys.
So, I was stuck at home with a fever and finally got through the first chapter. And I was hooked. I'll take my politico-heist gay erotica with spinning severed heads in the microwave. I just love the bombastic swagger, the t0-hell-with-it-all of 90s queer fiction writers like Baker. I had to order the rest of Baker's books from the library, as well as needing to reacquaint myself with Dennis Cooper.
The ending was rushed and not worthy of everything that came before it, but I can't fault an unfinished manuscript pieced together posthumously. The editor did out himself as hacking away "anything that didn't lead the story forward," and I wonder if that may have been a shame, I love the excursions and tangents.
So, I was stuck at home with a fever and finally got through the first chapter. And I was hooked. I'll take my politico-heist gay erotica with spinning severed heads in the microwave. I just love the bombastic swagger, the t0-hell-with-it-all of 90s queer fiction writers like Baker. I had to order the rest of Baker's books from the library, as well as needing to reacquaint myself with Dennis Cooper.
The ending was rushed and not worthy of everything that came before it, but I can't fault an unfinished manuscript pieced together posthumously. The editor did out himself as hacking away "anything that didn't lead the story forward," and I wonder if that may have been a shame, I love the excursions and tangents.
July 27, 2024
Book was absolutely bonkers. Plot is all over the place but honestly pretty entertaining. Explosive tit implants, gay Christians, killing Jesus, etc. What more could u ask for in a book.
May 26, 2016
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book, it was just in the sales pile all dusty. I must say, the book was a bit different from genres I've read, like a few people have said, Baker writes his own genre. Frankly though, I didn't enjoy it, the plot was all over the place, characterizations entailed mostly comparisons rather than actual explanations and it just didn't seem very believable. Maybe if you're a James RObert Baker fan in general you'd enjoy this book, because apparently he also makes a lot of reference to his real life work also. But meh, one star, nothing in the book stood out, it wasn't a page turner and the last chapter was just ridiculous. I think I skipped the last two pages just because it wasn't worth it.
August 7, 2011
A great ride!
January 23, 2013
A wonderful journey! All over the place, loved it :)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews