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BioShock and Philosophy

By: William Irwin - series editor, Luke Cuddy - editor
Narrated by: Alex Knox, Heather Wynne
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Publisher's summary

Considered a sign of the "coming of age" of video games as an artistic medium, the award-winning BioShock franchise covers vast philosophical ground. BioShock and Philosophy: Irrational Game, Rational Book presents expert reflections by philosophers (and BioShock connoisseurs) on this critically acclaimed and immersive fan favorite.

  • Reveals the philosophical questions raised through the artistic complexity, compelling characters, and absorbing plots of this groundbreaking first-person shooter (FPS)
  • Explores what BioShock teaches the gamer about gaming, and the aesthetics of video game storytelling
  • Addresses a wide array of topics including Marxism, propaganda, human enhancement technologies, political decision-making, free will, morality, feminism, transworld individuality, and vending machines in the dystopian society of Rapture
  • Considers visionary game developer Ken Levine's depiction of Ayn Rand's philosophy, as well as the theories of Aristotle, de Beauvoir, Dewey, Leibniz, Marx, Plato, and others from the Hall of Philosophical Heroes
©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (P)2020 Tantor
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What listeners say about BioShock and Philosophy

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Good

Fairly good audiobook, interesting ideas are presented. Really makes you think about things in the present and future.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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For anyone who wants to understand Bioshock

This book went beyond Rand's influence on the Bioshock series and touched on many forms of philosophy, government, and the charactere.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Come for the Bioshock, stay for Alex's breathing

The subject matter and the breakdown of philosophy in this book are great, but (breathes in) the narrator constantly breathing in between sentences was pretty distracting.

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1 person found this helpful

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Deep dive into Bioshock

This book isn't what you think. Its a deep dive into the philosophical questions Bioshock gives the player.
very interesting read but can easily go in one ear and out the other if you aren't paying attention.

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2 people found this helpful

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Would You Kindly Keep Reading

This book can best be described as a chimera of ideas, each distinctly standing out like the roots of objectivism, the story blocks, or the expression of quantum mechanics, string theory and all the other fields of study of which I know nothing. 10/10 would recommend, but only if your interested in this type of stuff.

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The philosophy above and below

Well thought out and organized book talking about the deeper meanings behind the words, actions, characters, and settings of the Bioshock series. The book focuses on Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite with little mention of 2, which is a little disappointing, but totally understandable.

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It's great until chapter 5

So everything was going good, dude made some great points and actually made me take pause and think but then chapter 5 hit. I knew the moment the word "FeMiNiSt" slithered its way out of her mouth that it was gonna be bad. This goofy broad has obviously never played the game because every single point she was trying to make is very easily shot down if you know the source material which obviously she did not.
Too bad, it could have been great but as they say 'one bad apple spoils the bunch'.

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this is History Channels alien talks

I love the bioshock games, but nothing in the book is a thinker about it or open the philosophy on that. every key point the book made that was good it turned itself into a whole 180 and backtrack it all and contradicts its key points it just made.
I listened to the whole back, trying to understand its key factors, but each time, it proved itself wrong. you get enough information as the history Channel WWII and its corralation to aliens series.

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