Bioshock: Rapture

Bioshock, Book 1

By: John Shirley

Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer

Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Among them was a great dreamer, an immigrant who'd pulled himself from the depths of poverty to become one of the wealthiest and most admired men in the world. That man was Andrew Ryan, and he believed that great men and women deserved better. So he set out to create the impossible: a utopia free from government, from censorship, and from moral restrictions on science, where what you gave was what you got. He created Rapture - the shining city below the sea. But this utopia suffered a great tragedy. This is the story of how it all came to be... and how it all ended.

©2011 Take-Two Interactive Software, Incorporated (P)2012 Tantor

A Good Supplement.

So this was a book that took a while to get done for me, but I'm glad I did. Great precursor to what happens in the first game.

Return to Rapture

As a long-time fan of the BioShock games, I truly enjoyed this.
it's the backstory of how Rapture came to be, the familiar characters we've heard on the audio recordings along the way.
very well done.

Really good for those who have played the games

I see several reviews bashing this book and I do not understand why. It gives an in depth look into how Andrew Ryan created Rapture and how it slowly drove him mad. Characters that we only knew as hidden audio diarys in the game now have full backstorys which bring more life to their audio diarys in the game. Certain hidden rooms are mentioned as well that players can and may have explored in the game. The book tells how exactly how Fontaine and Ryans rivalry happened. The book has many easter eggs hidden in it that refer to parts of the game. I find it very interesting to see the complete story of rapture before the first game takes place.

Awesome!

I loved the game and the story is amazing. This fills in a little more of the story and helps flesh it out more.
I Enjoyed the performance! It was well done and the performer gave a nice voice to each person.
I look forward to the next books if and when they come out!

Ties in nicely with the games

The book fills in much of the backstory that was just hinted at in the games, and serves to tie together the plot from both Bioshock games. No real surprises, but it did make me want to go back and replay the first game, and finally finish the second. If you were a fan of the Bioshock games, then you'll want to buy this book. If you were not, its still a good read, though not very subtle or particularly well-written. That's not really a knock against the author - the story had enough twists on its own, but he's working within a very rigid framework, more so than other works set in rich IPs.

exceptional story

Great voice Acting, good story with strong characters. There are some great lines in this book! makes me want to replay the video game.

A brief history of Rapture

A much appreciated detailed look into the rise and fall of Rapture, already one of the most detailed worlds in gaming, even in sci-fi as a whole. Richly crafted and populated by interesting characters, giving insight into how Rapture existed before it was overrun by crazed mutations.
Unfortunately, I can't say I enjoyed the narration. Jeffrey Kafer's voice isn't unpleasant, but his line delivery is often odd, and his accents are stereotypical at best and godawful at worst. In particular was his portrayal of Bill McDonagh; is he Australian? Creole? New Englander? Very few times does he have even a hint of the Cockney accent he's supposed to, and since McDonagh seems to be the main protagonist the story follows, it made the book nearly unlistenable. But the story I'd say is worth it, and if you don't have the time to read the physical book, I recommend this recording.

An overall great story

I am a fan of the Bioshock video game line and as glad this explaines where it all began. I want more. I can't deal with the hanging ending...

Great supplement to the games!

Well-written and gives a lot of depth and backstory to the first two games. However the performance is only so-so. The actor does a decent job with American voices, but all of his accents are weird and offensive, often falling into tired cartoonish stereotypes - especially with Suchong, although his "Irish" Atlas accent comes to mind as well. Even for Bill! Has the man even heard what someone from London sounds like? Did he do any research before recording? Or did he just watch old Looney Toons as reference? Anyway, it would be much better with a full cast or at least someone who's taken a dialects course.

Excellently written and read

This book explores the events leading up to the first game of the hit BIOSHOCK series. It's written in a way that does not require one to have played the games first to understand the setting, story, or characters. For those who have played the games before however, this acts as a wonderful look into the background of the underwater grave known as Rapture, and how some of the events and characters you see reached their final unfortunate circumstances.