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

This underwater paradiso is ruled by Andrew Ryan's pure capitalist ethos, relished by various corrupt factions of nature warping scientists, crime organizing gangsters, perverts, and thugs of all stripes. This book provides a great dive into the depths of Rapture before its fall and leaves the reader wanting more.

On my way to Dallas, I decided to buy a book for the long flight. I found there, in the bookstore, this little charm. Expecting it to be a dull, poor adaptation of a great game, I was sorely mistaken. It was surprisingly full of character, backstory, and overall Rapture atmosphere. I recommend this to any Bioshock fan, if you're looking for a decent read that gives history and context to the game.

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.

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.