BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by Irrational Games (at the time, named 2K Boston), and published by 2K Games. Bioshock fits the description of what one would typically expect from a dystopic body of work. In dystopian visions articulated at the beginning of the twenty-first century, one can observe a tendency to approach biotechnology as implicating the threat of post-humanity, and Bioshock uses the video game medium to explore these dystopic implications.
One of the most prolific lines within the game is “A Man Chooses, A Slave Obeys.” This line is said by Andrew Ryan, the game’s antagonist. He was a business magnate from the 1940s and 1950s who sought to avoid scrutiny from governments and other oversight by constructing an underwater city. In doing so he would escape from moral boundaries and fundamental rights, and so the city of Rapture was born. However, when Ryan’s vision for a utopia in Rapture collapsed into dystopia, he hid himself away and used armies of mutilated drug-addicted humans to defend himself and fight those who chose to resist him.
Similarly, a band by the name of ‘Godspeed you! Black Emperor’ aimed to emulate a dystopic environment through their music. Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a Canadian post-rock band. Their track “The Dead Flag Blues” aims to encapsulate and provoke an emotional response from the listener. The song begins with an ominous introduction. Back by a chilling string melody, the speaker describes a derelict city in where a corrupt