BioShock a Sci-Fi Ghost Story?

[Newbeing]

Just recently I finished the novel Hell House by Richard Matheson. The story is about four paranormal specialists staying a week at one of the worlds most notorious haunted houses, the Belasco Mansion. In the story you find that Belasco was a well educated, rich, and psychotic man who purchased this mansion in the middle of nowhere so he could create his own society of sorts. One that was without morality and allowed its citizens to do whatever they pleased. Of course this lead to many, if not all, of the occupants performing immoral acts on themselves (drug use and eventually suicide) and to others (rape, murder). All the while Belasco watched with glee as his guests went mad and eventually died.
This is a sort explanation or reasoning for the haunting in the book and while I was reading it, I was sort of brought back to BioShock and the similarities between Andrew Ryan, and Emeric Belasco. Both geniuses, which opened up a decadent and moral free environment only to watch it sink into desolation and despair.
Then I started to think how the occupants of Rapture are a lot like ghosts. Trapped in their "haunted house" they wander about in their old "haunts" losing their humanity and sanity more and more as the days and years past.

What I'm getting at is BioShock or Rapture for that matter feels like a haunted house story in a Sci-Fi setting. I know System Shock did something similar on the derelict space ships, but with the art deco and other early to mid 19th century influences it really portrays a more familiar old fashioned ghost story with a sci-fi twist. Anyone else have any similar or different thoughts?

[Pinky_Powers]

Then I started to think how the occupants of Rapture are a lot like ghosts. Trapped in their "haunted house" they wander about in their old "haunts" losing their humanity and insanity more and more as the days and years past.

I think it is wonderful that they continue to lose their insanity (thus becoming more sane?) but I imagine that was just a type-o.

I completely agree with the Haunted House feel Rapture possesses though. There is almost no other scenario that relates to it so splendidly. I have long felt, as I watched this game come along, that this watery hollow seemed ensnared by a lifeless and cold bewitchment.

I am sure there will be little to nothing in BioShock with ties to the supernatural, but it certainly has that beautiful semblance about it.

[Raveness]

Sounds interesting, I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the inferred recommendation

I categorize Bioshock more as an alternate history steampunk setting. I find most ghosts stories tend to be static in plot progression when secondary characters are left to their own vices, meaning characters that are not in action with the main protagonist or antagonist stay in limbo. Bioshock doesn’t sound like it will be static, as we’ve heard of the civil war going on in Rapture. In the game I also expect to see and hear about the machinations of others (namely Fontaine & Ryan) as the player is doing his/her own thing, just like in SS2. A more lively atmosphere than a dreary haunted house, although a lot of elements of the haunted house type of storytelling and mood definitely fit Rapture decorated halls.

Now that you mention it, splicers can be comparable to ghosts, in the sense that they are stuck in a behavioral loop that they feel is justified, and really the only way to get them out of it is to annihilate them.

Who you gonna call??

[Newbeing]

Whoops. yes wouldn't it be great if you could lose your insanity.
While watching one of the newer trailers for Bioshock, which toured the facilities of Rapture, I got a very 'The Shining' vibe from it. It will be interesting to see how events in their past lives (discovered through journals and recordings) will affect how they turned out after their 'transformation' be it in one form or another.