BioShock: Rapture

John Shirley

Jul 2011 · Sold by Macmillan

About this ebook

The prequel story to the award-winning and bestselling video game franchise. How the majesty of Rapture, the shining city below the sea, became an instant dystopia

It's the end of World War II. FDR's New Deal has redefined American politics. Taxes are at an all-time high. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has brought a fear of total annihilation. The rise of secret government agencies and sanctions on business has many watching their backs. America's sense of freedom is diminishing...and many are desperate to take that freedom back.

Among them is a great dreamer, an immigrant who pulled himself from the depths of poverty to become one of the wealthiest and admired men in the world. That man is Andrew Ryan, and he believed that great men and women deserve better. And so he set out to create the impossible, a utopia free from government, censorship, and moral restrictions on science—where what you give is what you get. He created Rapture—the shining city below the sea.

But as we all know, this utopia suffered a great tragedy. This is the story of how it all came to be...and how it all ended.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Ratings and reviews

I'm not sure if 4 stars is accurate. I'd give it a 4.3 maybe? It gives you a great idea of what could happen before the story of the first game. It provides an answer to many questions. However, the end seems to be less creative and more literal when taking material from the game. It isn't gripping but it isn't boring. It even stands pretty decently as a novel on its own. I didn't love it, but I love the story of bioshock. Essentially, it is an integral part to the story, and I recommend it to any fan.

Not only terrible but bad enough that the original Bioshock creator and Creative Director Ken Levine distanced himself from the project and has publically admitted he will not read it. My own issues is that the characters dont even remotely resemble their game versions. Andrew Ryan would NEVER lift a finger to create Rapture he is the god or king of Rapture and his followers built it. Don't buy this title it's a throw away cash grab and John Shirley is the James Patterson of nerd culture, constantly pushing out book after book with no love or patience for the art, just ready to cash his paycheck.

This is like the star wars prequels of bioshock. You get the vivid imagery but not much excitement in the plot - which was basically a straight long linear train ride. No jar jar though, thankfully.

About the author

John Shirley won the Bram Stoker Award for his book Black Butterflies. He was co-screenwriter of The Crow and television writer for Fox, and Paramount Television. His novels include City Come A-Walkin', Eclipse, Crawlers, Demons, and Bleak History.