Genius is the story of Max Perkins, a famous editor at publishing company Scribner who oversaw the publishing of works by authors like Thomas Wolfe, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and more. Genius tells the story of Perkins's rise and acquisition of some of the most famous writers in American history, featuring appearances by several of these well-known figures, and offers some insight into the personal life and struggles of this central character in American literature. With its focus on a background character so fundamental to telling the stories American literature is known for, Genius offers a surprising view into the life of this conduit of success.