Read The Rise & Fall of Andrew Ryan In Bioshock: Rapture
Before he became a suspicious, murderous mess loosely presiding over a corrupt corner of the ocean, Andrew Ryan had a posh life in New York - but not a comfortable one, with his fiery ethics opposing modern society at every turn. That's one part of the story told by the first Bioshock novel, Bioshock: Rapture. Published by TOR and written by John Shirley (The Crow, Black Butterflies), it chronicles the creation and dissolution of one of the most ambitious and politically charged settings in any video game.
While Rapture itself is the brainchild of Irrational Games, it was later given over to 2K Marin to enact a sequel, which carried Ken Levine's blessing but not necessarily an archival approval. Part of what made the sequel stand out as a cash-in was its deathmatch multiplayer, supposedly taking place during the genetic haywire of Rapture's civil war. (Rather than undergo a horrifying and irreversible transformation, players got to fight over a 'Big Daddy' powerup for a moment of awesome stompyness!) It's unclear from the Amazon description whether the novel will include such powerups, but whether it does will certainly color purists' perceptions of it.
Bioshock: Rapture may also answer some questions about how the Ryan/Fontaine rivalry ended in such disaster while still apparently staying within the confines of an objectivist utopia. To get a feel for the period language and setting, check out the preview on TOR's website. The full book is $17 for paper, or $10 as an eBook. Commerce!
faePuck
Posted to Miscellany, Video Games on 20 July 2011
Other stuff like this: andrew ryan, bioshock, bioshock: rapture, john shirley
