BioShock: Rapture (Novel)



BioShock: Rapture is a written work set in the eponymous BioShock universe. John Shirley is the author, and the publisher is Tor Books. Its story covers events from the creation of Rapture until a certain point before the first game. Both familiar and lesser-known characters from the BioShock universe will be expanded upon in the story, as well as locations like Apollo Square and Point Prometheus.

Synopsis
"I am Andrew Ryan and I’m here to ask you a question: Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his own brow? No, says the man in Washington. It belongs to the poor. No, says the man in the Vatican. It belongs to God. No, says the man in Moscow. It belongs to everyone. I rejected those answers. Instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose....Rapture. A city where the artist would not fear the censor. Where the scientist would not be bound by Petty morality. Where the great would not be constrained by the small. And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well."

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 their 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.

Trivia

 * One of his working title was BioShock: The Rise and Fall of the Ryan Empire.
 * The book was originally scheduled to ship slightly before the release of BioShock 2, the book has been delayed so that the author can integrate new lore from the second game.