Rapture (Bioshock)

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.

In this prequel to the bestselling video game series, Bram Stoker Award-winning author John Shirley tells the story of the rise and fall of the utopian city, Rapture.

John Shirley won the Bram Stoker Award for his story collection Black Butterflies and is the author of numerous novels, including the bestseller Demons, the cyberpunk classics City Come A-Walkin', Eclipse, and Black Glass, and the urban fantasy novel Bleak History. He has written for television and movies and was coscreenwriter of The Crow. He has also written lyrics for eighteen songs recorded by Blue Oyster Cult, in addition to his own recordings. Ever since his first play at thirteen (his mother still has the bellhop costume), Jeffrey Kafer has been an avid performer on the stage and in voice-overs. He has narrated nearly one hundred books spanning all genres and won the 2008 Voicey Award for Best New Voice. He currently lives in Seattle with his family.