[8-bit]

I'm currently joining a game that is going to take place in Chicago (shameless link here - http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=18073.0), and I know very little about the back story. What I do know, is that some brother hood masqueraded as being helpful people but turned out to be bringing insect spirits to our plane of existence. Eventually, somebody dropped a nuke on Chicago and pretty much sealed it off; leaving it lawless, heavily irradiated, plagued by background counts, and overrun with all sorts of nasties (including insect spirits).

That's about all I know, but I'm curious to learn more. Specifically, history, gangs that reside there, fixer and corporate types/players, all that stuff. From I understand, Missions is based in Chicago, but I have no interest in joining that. I just need information on this stuff. So, if someone wants to give me a synopsis, that would be kind of cool, otherwise, some recommended books to read would be useful. As I only have played Shadowrun since 5th edition, I don't know what books cover all of this history and backstory stuff. So, any help or information would be much appreciated!

[Crimsondude]

Books:

Bug City
Target: UCAS
Feral Cities
Dirty Tricks

If you can find it, the novel Burning Bright.

[8-bit]

Books:

Bug City
Target: UCAS
Feral Cities
Dirty Tricks

Thank you so much!

[Crimsondude]

De nada

[Wakshaani]

Also, while CHicago was written off for years as a radioactive and bug-filled feral city, it's finally been re-opened and now corporations are zipping in to get land rights and rebuilding contracts by any means neccessary. (This is the crux of the current Missions series, in fact!)

So, you timed it quite well.

[8-bit]

Um. Holy shit. I literally just got through the bug city part (the whole very basic wireless transmission thing). If you have a good imagination then ... damn. That thing is scary. I think I'm going to go off and read something less terrifying. Like maybe a picture book full of cats. Whoever wrote that is both a genius and has possibly one of the more terrifying imaginations that I've seen.

@Wakshaani

Sounds interesting, any details that I can get without getting into Missions stuff? In fact, I like the idea of Missions, I just don't see it being possible with real life stuff, but any background I can get for Shadowrun makes me happy.

[Wakshaani]

Bug City is a high point of SHadowHistory for good reason.

[8-bit]

Bug City is a high point of SHadowHistory for good reason.

A very good reason. I mean, I knew Shadowrun stuff was well written, but I've never looked at some of the classics. Because, damn, that is some amazing writing.

[Crimsondude]

Big City also won the award for best Rpg supplement for good reason. And yes, the golden age of SR was just that.

[Kincaid]

I often recommend people interested in Bug City check out the No Man's Land graphic novel (Batman).  Obviously, most Shadowrun groups aren't superheroes, but it does a nice job of portraying the crazy barter economy that existed inside Bug City and what that means for day-to-day life.

[Zwischenzug]

Renraku Arcology: Shutdown is also a great (and terrifying) read.

[cantrip]

Renraku Arcology: Shutdown is also a great (and terrifying) read.

<shudder>
Yes would be a great topic to revisit during the Halloween season.

If you want to dig back into further history on the insect spirits:

Queen Euphoria
Universal Brotherhood
2XS - novel
(and others - those are just the earliest)

I'm looking forward to running in Chicago at some point, I think your group will have a blast! Errr...well, hopefully not a *blast*...well you know what I mean! 

[8-bit]

Renraku Arcology: Shutdown is also a great (and terrifying) read.

<shudder>
Yes would be a great topic to revisit during the Halloween season.

If you want to dig back into further history on the insect spirits:

Queen Euphoria
Universal Brotherhood
2XS - novel
(and others - those are just the earliest)

I'm looking forward to running in Chicago at some point, I think your group will have a blast! Errr...well, hopefully not a *blast*...well you know what I mean! 

Yes, we'll have a metaphorical blast as opposed to a subtactical nuclear one. That is, if we get enough people.

Thanks everybody for the book suggestions, I always love to find more Shadowrun stuff to collect.

[Reaver]

Burning Bright was also a great read.

It shows the lead-up to Bug City from an Awakened point of view....

[firebug]

Since there isn't a 5th edition Chicago book out, there's some changes worth discussing on the forum.

Like how, with the switch to the wireless grid system, Chicago is reaching a point where the matrix can be used (if spottily) from most of the sprawl (since they don't need to litter the area with wireless devices like would be needed in 4th).  Commlinks and AR are starting to finally become more prevalent, especially with the help of the Maker Collective.  Essentially, the new matrix protocols are a huge deal for getting Chicago back on the map.