BioShock: Rapture

!!WARNING!! This book is a prequel to the games, but DO NOT read this book before playing them (Why haven't you played them yet???). It will give away certain "details" that the player should not know about when playing the games. This holds especially true for the first BioShock. I won't mention any of these spoilers in this review, so read on...I wasn't expecting much when my copy of BioShock:Rapture arrived in the mail, but I consider myself a pretty big fan of the series and the idea of a prequel in print was enough to make me preorder it. I was not disappointed... far from it in fact.If you've played the BioShock games then you know a great deal of the storytelling is done via audio diaries. These audio diaries are exactly what they sound like... the audio recorded thoughts of those that lived in Rapture. As you progress through the games you discover these recordings scattered about here and there. Each diary contains a small piece of a puzzle; a very dark puzzle that paints a picture of what took place in Rapture. From these diaries we learn of some of the horrible experiences of its citizens, as well as the events that ultimately caused its downfall. John Shirley does an extraordinary job of tying these diaries together into a novel that really fleshes out the story of Rapture.In bringing these diaries together, Shirley takes side-characters from the games and gives our brief encounters with them more meaning. People that had small cameos from the games are given new life as you see the events that led to their fate in greater detail and from different angles. Not every character is given as much attention as others, but overall I was very satisfied.I'm a very big BioShock fan so I'll admit that I might have some bias, but I'm trying to look at the book as objectively as I can. As one other reader mentioned, there are many different POVs. I can see where one might feel that some of these don't quite fit when considering the book by itself, as they serve little purpose to move the story along at times and can seem out of place. But for those that experienced the games, these "teasers" that seem unnecessary are actually a prelude for what came afterward. They're more fan-service than anything else; Shirley even dedicated the book itself to the fans of BioShock and BioShock 2. In addition to the spoilers the book contains, this is another reason I strongly suggest reading the book only AFTER you have played the games. These different POVs will be more familiar to you and will likely be more appreciated if you've played the games. That's my opinion anyway.The only other issue I could see some readers possibly having is that the book definitely doesn't read like your everyday novel... it's choppy and jumps around, taking place over the entire decade that housed the rise and fall of Rapture (430 pages to cover 14 years, actually). I had no problem with this myself; the story was still very easy to follow and flowed well.Bottom line... this book was a great read and it has me wanting to play through both games all over again! If you are a fan of BioShock then I highly recommend this book.UPDATE: The BioShock Ultimate Rapture Edition is out! $29.99 gets you both BioShock and BioShock 2, including all their DLCs!

This book is absolutely excellent. I did not play the BioShock games, but I was vaguely familiar with them and with Ayn Rand's ideas prior to reading the book. I enjoyed the book so much that I almost did not want it to end. I wanted to know more about all the other intricacies of the city (e.g., more details about incidents that were only explained in passing). But overall, still, a really good book that is both entertaining and captivating, while posing important questions that will keep you thinking about the book long after you finished it.I have some thoughts about the plot that contain spoilers, so don't read further if you are still planning to read the book!*******Spoilers Ahead*******The book really elegantly captures how people use ideas (especially Marxist ideas) to persuade and gain the confidence of vulnerable individuals. Ultimately, these people's true intention is not to help those vulnerable individuals, but rather to satisfy their own desire for power. The individuals (in this case, the ordinary and particularly the downtrodden citizens of Rapture) are just pawns in their game to overthrow the person who is in power (i.e., Andrew Ryan) so that they can become the leaders of Rapture (i.e., Lamb and Fontaine).So what exactly was it that caused Rapture to fail so spectacularly? I mean, Andrew Ryan founded the city upon such good intentions?!? He had it all figured out, right? ;)The irony of what Andrew Ryan says in the beginning about what Rapture will be and what he eventually ends up doing when things start to unravel is made clear in the book. He basically goes from being this cross between Ayn Rand and Rockefeller to someone not much different to Lenin or Stalin.But where specifically did he go wrong? I have a few ideas:- His need to control the city in a top-down (central planning) manner was most likely his biggest mistake. This is ironic, given that his philosophy of how Rapture would be governed (at least in the beginning) was more akin to a libertarian point of view. However, he never relinquished power, nor was he particularly open to the perspectives of others. Consequently, Rapture never really developed naturally as a society, but was heavily top-down engineered from the start. The chances of it becoming a libertarian utopia was therefore dead from the get-go.- Ryan's civic education program was also a bad idea. Of course, he also chose the worst possible person for the job, but even if he did not choose someone that was basically out to usurp him from day one, the desire to educate people into liking Rapture was a tenuous idea at best. I understand that he had (seemingly) good intentions with it: he assumed that people might not enjoy their stay in Rapture because they do not understand how bad it really is out there and how brilliant the philosophy that underpins Rapture really is. He understood that he needed people to buy into the philosophy of Rapture, in order for them to identify with and contribute to the city in a meaningful way. But then he should have done that education *before* people were allowed into Rapture, not afterwards when they have already made the commitment. Moreover, as a Research Psychologist, I can say with conviction that social education programs are controversial (I guess I am sceptical of people that feel that these kinds of programs are necessary in the first place). These types of programs are often used in insidious ways, without people's consent, in order to further top-down goals which may not always be to the benefit of the individual (which once again goes against Ryan's original ethos). The assumption that people's lack of understanding is what is driving their behaviour is also flawed, because other factors, such as their social environment, also play important roles in shaping their behaviour.- Not allowing people to leave the city was probably one of his worst decisions. I understand that he felt it necessary to isolate the city as much as possible, and keep it a secret from the outside world, but forcing people to stay just does not seem practical or humane. In any normal community, people invariably come and go. If people enjoy living there and (importantly) are able to work there, they will be more likely to stay. Ryan was clearly flirting with disaster by restricting people's freedom of movement and forcing people who are, understandably, not happy anymore to stay in Rapture.- Similarly, banning the import of religious materials and other books that might run counter to Ryan's belief system was also a poor move. Apparently, when you ban something, people just want it more! You could also argue that people innately need culture/religion and by banning books you only serve to alienate people more from you as their leader. And obviously, by banning certain things you inadvertently help to develop the illicit trade of these items, which brings about other undesirable things such as organised crime.Ultimately, I think Andrew Ryan would have been better off if he had just built a mansion for himself under the sea. Not a city, just a house for himself. He could have stayed there for the rest of his life and arranged for contractors to come and do repairs, etc. under sworn secrecy.

This takes some time to get into but it is a slow burn worth reading if you enjoyed the games and crave more. I fell in love with it years ago, cause it appealed to my reader/gamer side and there weren't many other options out there. Even now, it's still one of the best fan-written pieces for sale.I knew how the story was going to end, I've played the games, I've seen the destruction that happens but I still enjoyed the ride. It's fun to see familiar characters, and familiar places, but brought to life and no longer just the frightening ruins you're exploring or doing.After reading this book to a family member, they enjoyed the tale enough they borrowed it. They also tried to play the first game but can only do like ten minutes at a time before they bug out. Anyway, my copy got misplaced.So, I've now bought it a second time so that they can have their own copy, it's their's forever. And I will soon be buying a third copy so that I can replace what was lost.Remember, it does take a bit to get into the story and is slow in some spots, but I have read it multiple times and will read it again just because it offers us a beautiful, heartbreaking exploration of the still intact Rapture.

Really if you are a fan of the games, you must try this! Fantastic read, honestly deserving of a comic adaptation!

Realmente uma boa leitura!! Muito confortavél e otimo tamanho!

Una historia que aporta no mucho, sino TODO para enriquecer los juegos (1 & 2) donde vas conociendo y profundizando acerca de los personajes importantes y secundarios dentro de la historia de como se crea rapture. La historia se divide en 3 eras, desde la planeacion de la ciudad, hasta el estado en la que la conocemos en los videojuegos. Rapture (libro) te proporciona de contexto y profundidad de la situacion en cada momento, hace algunas referencias que ver en los juegos y da explicaciones de como es que funciona todo en rapture dentro de los juegos: porque existen las little sisters? Como y que es el Eve y Adam? La 'ciencia' de los plasmidos? En ningun capitulo llega a sentirse lento o irrelevante, al igual que los personajes que circundan la historia aportan mucho a la trama ya que llegas a identificarte y entender sus motivos y objetivos. Si al igual que yo, sientes que te falto un bioshock 3 en rapture este libro facilmente pasa a ser el primero, seguido por los juegos donde incluso gracias a su redaccion, se siente el ambiente sombrío y viceral de la saga.El libro aunque esta escrito en ingles, si te animas a comprarlo no siendo tu lengua nativa no te impide en absoluto para disfrutarlo, uno que otro modismo coloquial, y una que otra busqueda en el diccionario son suficientes.Aspecto fisico del libro: el mio llego en perfecto estado, sin marcas mi maltrato, aunque esto puede variar dependiendo del servicio postal.

Fue para un regalo y le gusto mucho.

Für jeden der Bioshock wegen der Story so faszinierend fand, ist dieses Buch perfekt, um noch mehr von der Geschichte von Rapture zu erfahren. Man erfährt mehr über die Hintergründe, Motivationen der wichtigsten Charaktere von Bioshock 1 & 2 und wie das Leben in Rapture vor dem Zusammenfall aussah.Einzier Kritikpunkt ist, dass man noch mehr Erzählen von der Geschichte hätte können und noch tiefer die Charaktere durchleuchten hätte können.