!!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!
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Suck it, Ayn Rand
A tour de force of mad science and gratuitous violence expertly delivered through a film noir lens in a captivating mid-century atmosphere. This novel is completely congruent with the lore of the games, and just as immersive, as it gloriously spits in the face of libertarian capitalist hubris and takes a marvelous dump on Ayn Rand’s head. Highly recommend.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2011
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Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2022
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024
A tour de force of mad science and gratuitous violence expertly delivered through a film noir lens in a captivating mid-century atmosphere. This novel is completely congruent with the lore of the games, and just as immersive, as it gloriously spits in the face of libertarian capitalist hubris and takes a marvelous dump on Ayn Rand’s head.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
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Top reviews from other countries
KMSx
Una obra de arte. Necesario si eres fan de bioshock
Reviewed in Mexico on January 3, 2022
KMSx
Reviewed in Mexico on January 3, 2022
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.
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Demasiado pequeño y engorroso de montar
Es lo que es
Reviewed in Spain on February 1, 2024Amazon Kunde
Perfekt für alle Fans von Bioshock 1 & 2
Reviewed in Germany on July 23, 2023