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[Chatsu Shorts] A Review of Bioshock: Rapture || Bioshock Month
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After an ominous invite to the depths of PodPack City, Satsunami dives deep into the world of Bioshock. Featuring guest co-hosts from Casting Views, RoboticBattleToaster, Howdy Beans and Game Club Pod, this is one month that you will want to submerge yourself in. So grab a podcast Plasmid and listen to us somewhere beyond the sea!
In this episode, Satsunami discusses the book Bioshock: Rapture by John Shirley. Published 4 years after the debut of the first game, the story follows the rise of gaming's most iconic underwater city. But what makes this prequel so special? Why did it captivate fans of the series so much? And would you put your faith in Andrew Ryan? All of this and more in this Chatsu Shorts review of Bioshock: Rapture!
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Welcome
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to Chattsunami.
Starting Over and Seeking Opportunities
00:00:19
Speaker
I think it's safe to say that we've all gone through moments in our lives where we just want to start over and search for something better. With the rise of nightmarish news bombarding us 24-7, it's no surprise that many seek better opportunities elsewhere.
00:00:32
Speaker
While I would never discourage anyone from seeking better things, sometimes it could just be a simple case of the grass being greener on the other side. Because for all the hardships of the world, there are also slivers of goodness that we
Inspirations from Barcelona and Sagrada Familia
00:00:45
Speaker
can seek out. The reason I bring this up is because a few weeks ago, I found myself within the heart of Barcelona, a beautiful city with a rich Catalonian culture around every turn. After feeling burnt out at home, it was definitely the break I needed, leading me to the usual haunts of a tourist, from its cathedrals to historical buildings. But one particular place that left me pondering was the world-famous Sagrada Familia, and while I'm sure the scaffolding there has been there long enough to warrant a papal blessing, it was an architectural marvel to behold.
00:01:17
Speaker
Designed by the famous Catalan architect Antony Galdi in 1926, his influence can be seen everywhere as he blended concepts of nature with his designs. To see it in pictures does it a disservice, and if given the opportunity, you should definitely go while you can. But as I sat there within the holy walls of the Basilica, something stood out to me as I listened to the audio guide.
00:01:41
Speaker
It was emphasised that no matter who you were or where you came from, all would be welcomed here. But unlike other cathedrals I had been to in the past, the Sagrada Familia felt intrinsically linked to Gaudi. It wasn't just a place of worship, it was a place of belonging. A great social equaliser where all would be embraced with open arms. Not literally, of course, unless you forgot to take your phone out of your pocket at the security checkpoint. But the further I ventured through the Basilica, the more I struggled to separate the art from the artist. It wasn't just the Sagrada Familia, it was Galdi's Sagrada Familia. Now I'm not saying this accolade isn't without its merit. After all, the man spent over 40 years of his life dedicated to the project, which is something I could only aspire to, even with the podcast. But of course, today we aren't here to discuss my holiday, at least I hope
Review of 'Rapture' - Initial Thoughts
00:02:33
Speaker
not anyway. Since August has been dedicated to Bioshock Month,
00:02:36
Speaker
I decided to take the recommendations of some friends to check out the book Rapture by John Shirley. And after reading the prequel to quite frankly one of the greatest games of all time, and tempting fate by reading it on a plane, I wasn't sure what to expect. But thankfully I was pleasantly surprised at the depth Shirley gave to the world of the games, and it lingered in the back of my mind during my travels. Published in 2011, a whole four years after the debut of the first game, The book follows the rise of gaming's most iconic underwater city and the ambitions of its creator, Andrew Ryan.
00:03:10
Speaker
Told through a variety of perspectives from Ryan's friends and foes, we start to understand the man behind the legend, as well as his spiral towards insanity. But as I mentioned before, I couldn't help but think back to what I'd witnessed in the Sagrada Familia. Of course, there were no statues of Galdi looming over me as I wandered the grand halls, nor were the people in diving suits stomping around.
00:03:33
Speaker
But much like that building, nature is something intrinsically linked within the city of Rapture. Unlike Galdi's attempts to marry nature with his man-made structure, Ryan chose instead to impose himself into nature.
00:03:46
Speaker
While Rapture was also intended to be for all, the metaphorical and literal cracks begin to form throughout the narrative, leading to Rapture becoming Ryan's Rapture. instead of the vision for the common man to forge their own destiny. Man may be entitled to the sweat of his brow, but by the end of the journey, it would be that very sweat that would oil the cogs of Ryan's city. But what went wrong with Ryan's maniacal machinations? Could his city have thrived with the right people?
00:04:13
Speaker
And how does Shirley contribute to the rich lore building of the Bioshock universe? With spoilers ahead for Rapture, let's dive into this review.
Building Rapture - Andrew Ryan's Vision
00:04:22
Speaker
Straight off the bat, what I love about this book is that it doesn't just leap headfirst into Rapture just coming into existence, but instead tries to at the very least rationalise the lead-up to it.
00:04:33
Speaker
The first chapter opens from the perspective of Sullivan, bodyguard to the Great Man, aka Andrew Ryan, which tells us everything about how people view Ryan, outside of his own egotistical bubble. The straw that breaks the sea slug's back, however, is of course when Ryan receives intelligence about the Americans dropping nuclear weapons on Japan towards the end of the Second World War. Of course, I can't blame him for being convinced that the world will go up in a fiery nuclear blaze. Well, I wish I could say we've moved past that point. Sadly, I don't think we have.
00:05:05
Speaker
It is here where Ryan starts to recruit his most trusted of people to help create the city of Rapture, and also where you get to see his charisma in full swing. I don't think I'd ever be able to convince anyone to go to the shop successfully, let alone an underwater city, but the book makes a point of highlighting how, again, no pun intended, enraptured everyone is with the concept.
00:05:26
Speaker
And it's here where we meet quite possibly one of my favourite characters in the book. Bill McDonough begins his story as a humble English plumber who moves to America with one bad turn after the other. It's not until Ryan sees his honesty and dedication to hard work that he inadvertently gets sucked into helping to create Rapture.
00:05:45
Speaker
Initially Bill thinks of Ryan as a crackpot trying to flirt with him, something I must say reminded me of that one exchange in The Simpsons between Homer and Mr Burns. And if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Wait a minute.
00:05:59
Speaker
Is he coming on to me? I mean, if I should slip something into your pocket, what's the harm? Oh, my God. He is coming on to me. After all, negotiations make strange pet fellows.
00:06:13
Speaker
But I will admit, I was thoroughly hooked into the friendship that the two of them had. What is also interesting to note is how Shirley portrays the contrast between Ryan's blind faith in people he enlists the help of versus the opinions of those around him.
00:06:27
Speaker
One such instance is our introduction to the terrifying thespian himself, Sander Cohen, where Bill immediately finds something off-putting about him, but defers to Ryan's judgment. Keep this in mind as this is something that will continuously reoccur throughout the book. As the story progresses, we see how close the duel become, as we even get a scene where Bill nearly sacrifices himself saving Ryan, when a tunnel becomes compromised and cracks under the pressure.
00:06:53
Speaker
I'm sure there's a metaphor in there somewhere, but I'll let you decide that one. And for a brief moment, I was somewhat hopeful for this new endeavour of Ryan's, that maybe somehow humanity's best and brightest would forge a new world.
Rapture's Flaws and Fontaine's Influence
00:07:06
Speaker
At least, that is until the arrival of the one and only sleazy conman himself, Fontaine, the name pending of course, who catches wind of rapture and manages to weasel his way into the society as nothing more than a humble fisherman.
00:07:21
Speaker
But as the city reaches its second age, we see what living in Rapture truly entails as Bill falls for Ryan's secretary Elaine, and the two of them conceive a young girl called Sophie. It's here where we see the doctrine of Ryan's supposed utopia unfurl, and demonstrate what exactly the great chain of commerce entails.
00:07:40
Speaker
No longer is man bound by the shackles of bureaucracy, nor is it micromanaged to death. Sounds like the paradise to the average aspiring entrepreneur, right? Well, not exactly. This is something I brought up in my previous reviews, but human nature is a fickle thing.
00:07:56
Speaker
We are a species that thrives on betterment and a desire to leave that as our legacy. But the problem doesn't so much stem from our intentions as much as it does our methods to get there. The concept of the greater good to being one of them, of course. No matter your stance,
00:08:11
Speaker
Any type of unregulated market is bound to instantly be exploited by bad faith actors. In this case it's due to the almost cartoonishly evil Fontaine, but even his motives are interesting. I often wondered that if Fontaine didn't enter Rapture, then would it have succeeded? Well, quite frankly, no.
00:08:31
Speaker
There's a particular harrowing scene that chilled me when I read it, where a complaint is issued towards a shopkeeper who has a mountain of rubbish at his doorstep. After Ryan and Bill go down to investigate, the shopkeeper confesses that one of his competitors, who is more than happy to openly gloat about it, owns the only viable trash collection service and only charges him an obscene amount that will swiftly put him out of business.
00:08:55
Speaker
In all his supportive glory, Ryan tells the shopkeeper to essentially pull up his bootstraps and get good. As you expect, this does not go exactly the way he thought it would, as the shopkeeper pulls out a gun and shoots his rival dead, before shooting himself. It is an overt critique of how the poor are viewed in Rapture.
00:09:12
Speaker
The situation only rapidly declines with the introduction of staple game mechanic plasmids, which give the people of Rapture superhuman abilities while simultaneously corrupting their minds. By the time the third age of Rapture arrives, We witness the inevitable fall of such a society, rampant with exploitation, fear and paranoia. Those Andrew Ryan feared the most are already exploiting the system, creating a three-way grab for power between himself, the treacherous Fontaine, and the sinister Sophia
Characterization and Relationships in 'Rapture'
00:09:43
Speaker
Lam. The only minor nitpick I would levy against this part of the book is just how rushed it feels. Not so much a fault of Shirley's himself, but more of an expectation for you to know what's going on in the background at some parts based on the games. And while I feel that's a valid expectation,
00:10:00
Speaker
I could understand why some may feel this part of the book barrels through towards the events of the first and second game, rather than taking it slow. One of the main examples I can think of off the top of my head is when Sophia Lam gets arrested, and as the reader slash player bar one or two scenes in Persephone, which is of course the jail that Sophia is held in, it's left to the player to know what exactly happened based on playing Bioshock 2.
00:10:25
Speaker
That being said, I adore how each person is characterised in this book. We get to see the interpersonal relationships between them like we've never seen in the games. From Tenenbaum and Suchong's tentative team-up to the decline of Bill McDonough and Andrew Ryan's relationship,
00:10:42
Speaker
It's written so well that you forget about the outcome that you already know's gonna happen. In one world you'd hope that Ryan and Bill somehow set aside their differences and improve Rapture, and another you hope for Fontaine's downfall and Sophia's warnings to be heeded.
Comparisons to Ayn Rand's Philosophy
00:10:56
Speaker
As I've said throughout the month,
00:10:57
Speaker
On paper, you can see how silly an idea such as building an underwater city could be, but Shirley's writing is done so well that you truly sympathise for someone like Andrew Ryan. You see his horrific past unfold, where as a child he watches members of his extended family get gunned down by the Bolsheviks while fleeing with his father. You see his disillusionment at having to work hard for his wealth, only for another government to take unfair cuts and seize his assets. If Ayn Rand had her hands on Andrew Ryan, He would have been hailed as a hero of objectivism, someone who stood up and carved his fortune against all odds.
00:11:33
Speaker
And yet, this is exactly the type of thinking that sucked so many souls into Rapture in the first place. Not everyone can be Andrew Ryan. Someone has to pick up the manual work that others do not want to do. a concept that even con men like Fontaine pointed out. These sad saps.
00:11:50
Speaker
They come to Rapture thinking and they're going to be captains of industry. but they all forget that somebody's got to scrub the toilet Obviously there are more nuances to this whole topic, but the fact is that Rhyne acts almost like a child in charge of a game who gets grumpy at anyone who dares deviate from the rules.
00:12:10
Speaker
Without regulations or a safety net to fall back on, the denizens of Rapture, unfortunate enough to be in this situation, will remain disenfranchised and feel hopeless. And where do they go then but into the arms of the Rapture family or to fight for Atlas?
00:12:25
Speaker
I think one of the most heartbreaking things about this book is watching the dream of rapture crumble before your eyes in real time. It's not done through some immediate grand event that shattered the illusion of peace, but instead small ones that accumulate. From failing businesses to the introduction of contraband, even Bill begins to waver in his belief in the once great man that Ryan claimed to be. And once he falls in love and has Sophie, you immediately know where things are headed should they remain down there.
00:12:54
Speaker
Without spoiling the ending, it's like watching a car crash unfold in slow motion. You can see what's about to happen a mile off, as family man and plumber extraordinaire Bill is conscripted into becoming a constable to help fight against the wave of crime left behind by Fontaine and Splicer's like.
00:13:11
Speaker
And with no literal escape plan, there are hundreds of others in the same situation who become victims of circumstance, all for the pursuit of wealth. The Little Sisters are a key example of this as well, but you don't have to listen to me tell you how messed up that entire concept is to begin with, so I'll let this clip from Monsters Inc. summarise But kidnapping children? I'll kidnap a thousand children before i let this company die? The story of Rapture is a tale of hubris.
00:13:38
Speaker
It is one where a single man's vision to run the world in his own way turns into the very thing he was fleeing
Conclusions on Rapture and Real World Connections
00:13:44
Speaker
from. And yet it's not too dissimilar to our own world. Minus your neighbour climbing the walls to get in the morning paper hopefully. But joking aside, we are told by different people how their vision of the world would be better and are blindly followed with the promise of, well, can't get any worse.
00:14:00
Speaker
A good friend once told me that life, if you're unable to make the world a better place, then at the very least do not contribute to the negativity of it all. And while Andrew Ryan and his merry band were no doubt enamoured by this prospect of becoming the pioneers of a better world, their flawed vision on how to achieve that was ultimately their downfall.
00:14:19
Speaker
Normally tie-in books for games are a hit or a miss, but much like Mass Effect Annihilation, this is one that you should definitely read if you're a Bioshock fan. While there are minor moments here or there that can be nitpicked, it is one that does its job masterfully and is worthy of all the praise. But what did you think of Bioshock Rapture?
00:14:37
Speaker
Was it salvation for the series? Or was it better left at the bottom of
Closing Remarks and Listener Engagement
00:14:41
Speaker
the ocean? Feel free to reach out and let me know. But as always, thank you all so much for listening to this episode of Chatsu Shorts. If you want to listen to more episodes of Bioshock Month, then you can check us out at our website, chatsanami.com, as well as all good podcast tabs.
00:14:55
Speaker
I also want to thank our amazing Pandalorean patrons, RoboticBattletoaster, Sonya, Ghostie, and Cryptic1991. Thank you all so, so much for supporting the show. And if you would like early access to episodes, exclusive content, commentary tracks, and so, so much more, then you can check us out at our Patreon page, patreon.com forward slash chattsunami.
00:15:17
Speaker
This podcast is of course a member of the Popat Collective. For more information, check us out at our Twitter slash X page, Popat Collect. But until next time, thank you all so so much for listening. Stay safe, stay awesome, awesome and most importantly, stay hydrated.