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Polybius
October 31st, 1981. The morning was quiet; it seemed no different from any other morning. A Grey Ford shipping truck rumbled through the suburbs of Portland Oregon—with its single delivery. The vehicle seemed no different from any of the other trucks on the road; its cargo would have passed any inspection as ordinary.
Looks could be deceiving.
Everyone is getting ready for the Halloween party at Jerry's Arcade. It's been the night the neighborhood kids have been waiting for. It's been the night the college kids have been waiting for. It's been the night they have been waiting for. There's a new machine being delivered to the arcade: it's ready, it's waiting, it's killer.
Polybius. It's going to be game over... for everyone.
Looks could be deceiving.
Everyone is getting ready for the Halloween party at Jerry's Arcade. It's been the night the neighborhood kids have been waiting for. It's been the night the college kids have been waiting for. It's been the night they have been waiting for. There's a new machine being delivered to the arcade: it's ready, it's waiting, it's killer.
Polybius. It's going to be game over... for everyone.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2020
11 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
David Irons
31 books121 followersDavid Irons was the kid who went to his room to watch and read horror when his relatives came round. It paid off. When he left his room, he became an award-winning filmmaker and writer living on the south coast of England. His films, colourful and stylish in design, have won awards at the Cambridge Film festival, Las Vegas VIFF festival, and LA Independent Festival for cinematography, editing, writing, and directing. '7 Winters Alone' - a sci-fi, horror short - was a winner in David Lynch's 2014 Short Film Competition.
In 2019 David had his first novel, Night Waves, published, followed by Night Creepers, Polybius, and The Bloody Tracks of Bigfoot in 2020 - 2021 from Severed Press. Since then, David has become a Splatterpunk award-nominated writer for his '80s summer camp slasher, 'Don't Go To Wheelchair Camp.'
The moral of this story is to be weird and stay in your room. It pays off in the end.
In 2019 David had his first novel, Night Waves, published, followed by Night Creepers, Polybius, and The Bloody Tracks of Bigfoot in 2020 - 2021 from Severed Press. Since then, David has become a Splatterpunk award-nominated writer for his '80s summer camp slasher, 'Don't Go To Wheelchair Camp.'
The moral of this story is to be weird and stay in your room. It pays off in the end.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 6, 2020
I picked up Polybius looking for some nostalgia. As a kid who misspent most of my early youth in places like Eastbourne and Great Yarmouth, pouring any coins I could get my hands on into Double Dragon, Ghosts n Goblins, and others, this horror homage to those bygone days seemed right up my street. And it sure delivered.
Beginning with the foul conspiracy that is the Polybius machine being installed by the German company responsible for this 'psychological experiment,' we soon descend into the classic jocks vs nerds high school battles of 80s cinema. All the while, the horrible reality of what the Polybius unit can do.
What impressed me about Polybius was the accuracy with which Irons has replicated this period of time in which I grew up. It was so easy, as a child of the 80s, to close my eyes and live through the scenes and the sceneries. Likewise, the unpredictable brutality of the horror kept me guessing until the very final page about who - if anyone - might survive.
If there was anything I might have enjoyed more about the book, it was the length. I'm a slow reader, with little free time to read, so I might have preferred it to have been perhaps 75% of the final length.
That aside, I enjoyed the book immensely and could well imagine this being adapted for TV or Film. Like an R-rated Stranger Things.
Beginning with the foul conspiracy that is the Polybius machine being installed by the German company responsible for this 'psychological experiment,' we soon descend into the classic jocks vs nerds high school battles of 80s cinema. All the while, the horrible reality of what the Polybius unit can do.
What impressed me about Polybius was the accuracy with which Irons has replicated this period of time in which I grew up. It was so easy, as a child of the 80s, to close my eyes and live through the scenes and the sceneries. Likewise, the unpredictable brutality of the horror kept me guessing until the very final page about who - if anyone - might survive.
If there was anything I might have enjoyed more about the book, it was the length. I'm a slow reader, with little free time to read, so I might have preferred it to have been perhaps 75% of the final length.
That aside, I enjoyed the book immensely and could well imagine this being adapted for TV or Film. Like an R-rated Stranger Things.
September 8, 2020
The mystery of Polybius is revealed in this awesome take on this malefic arcade machine. Filled with that 80s perfection of brutal horror, a shadowy foreign agency, screens glowing brightly in the faces of entranced teens in the neon-filled local arcade. Memorable characters, incredibly detailed hyper-action scenes. Halloween is in the air on this night in Portland Oregon where the Machine pulses with a vibrancy that draws those near it with a servile craving. What more could you want in this tribute to the mysterious Polybius? Highly recommended, David Irons adds another masterpiece to his growing collection of horror. Night Waves, Night Creepers, Graveyard Billy, and Wolf Moon.
When Night Waves released I was instantly hooked, then with Night Creepers I knew without a doubt I would be following this author and all his future work. Graveyard Billy, Wolf Moon, now Polybius- do yourself a favor and don't let this slip by you, buy it, download it, read it! But remember... Stay away from the arcade..
When Night Waves released I was instantly hooked, then with Night Creepers I knew without a doubt I would be following this author and all his future work. Graveyard Billy, Wolf Moon, now Polybius- do yourself a favor and don't let this slip by you, buy it, download it, read it! But remember... Stay away from the arcade..
May 4, 2021
More 80’s nostalgia!
After reading Within the Woods, Inside and Devil's Day this book follows the same pattern. Set in the 80’s – check, a horror tale – check and kids involved – check.
I started reading Polybius without any idea it was based on an urban legend (Polybius (urban legend) - Wikipedia). My Goodreads friend Jack Tripper - The United States (2,285 books) Goodreads posted this link AVGN:PolybiusCinemassacreProductions(cinemassacreold.website-us-east1.linodeobjects.com).
This made me give Polybius a lower rating because it was based on an actual situation when I was reading it as a story totally from the authors imagination.
Polybius is set in 1981 on Halloween night. All the kids are going to the party at Jerry’s Arcade. It’s the place to be. However, the kids do not know about the deal Jerry has made with a German company to bring in some new Arcade machines which are part of a psychological experiment. The Polybius arcade is not your basic machine. Hidden away it has the power to control, which the kids are going to awaken and be subject to.
There is the 80’s classic nerds vs jocks who we get to learn about and plenty of brutal and gory scenes.
I used to love going to the Arcades in the 80’s (just as much as I loved going to Video Rental stores). Now, I listen to this tune Arcade Dreams | The Midnight (bandcamp.com) and the remix Arcade Dreams (Timecop1983 Remix) | The Midnight (bandcamp.com) while plugging in my retro Pac-Man console to the TV and playing away. Then I read Polybius for that final journey to the Arcades.
After reading Within the Woods, Inside and Devil's Day this book follows the same pattern. Set in the 80’s – check, a horror tale – check and kids involved – check.
I started reading Polybius without any idea it was based on an urban legend (Polybius (urban legend) - Wikipedia). My Goodreads friend Jack Tripper - The United States (2,285 books) Goodreads posted this link AVGN:PolybiusCinemassacreProductions(cinemassacreold.website-us-east1.linodeobjects.com).
This made me give Polybius a lower rating because it was based on an actual situation when I was reading it as a story totally from the authors imagination.
Polybius is set in 1981 on Halloween night. All the kids are going to the party at Jerry’s Arcade. It’s the place to be. However, the kids do not know about the deal Jerry has made with a German company to bring in some new Arcade machines which are part of a psychological experiment. The Polybius arcade is not your basic machine. Hidden away it has the power to control, which the kids are going to awaken and be subject to.
There is the 80’s classic nerds vs jocks who we get to learn about and plenty of brutal and gory scenes.
I used to love going to the Arcades in the 80’s (just as much as I loved going to Video Rental stores). Now, I listen to this tune Arcade Dreams | The Midnight (bandcamp.com) and the remix Arcade Dreams (Timecop1983 Remix) | The Midnight (bandcamp.com) while plugging in my retro Pac-Man console to the TV and playing away. Then I read Polybius for that final journey to the Arcades.
December 5, 2020
Fun
If you grew up in the 80s or just love cheesy 80s horror, you will most likely love this book. I did. Nothing deep just some good fun.
If you grew up in the 80s or just love cheesy 80s horror, you will most likely love this book. I did. Nothing deep just some good fun.
August 16, 2025
I had real trouble with this one. I tried and tried, but it never worked for me. Some of the problems being the "retro" angle. This didn't propel me back in time. It was what it was, an author writing in the twenty-first century about twentieth century things.
One of the other things that I just could not get by was the evil things the game created. It was rather silly. There was a big production about AI, too. AI is everywhere nowadays. I personally tire of the subject. There was AI in all sorts of things back in the 80's, but what I read and watched, they were a bit more creative. They called it "Supercomputer." "The Diode Flasher 9000." Or "Maurice." Not enough substance and very little style. GAME OVER.
One of the other things that I just could not get by was the evil things the game created. It was rather silly. There was a big production about AI, too. AI is everywhere nowadays. I personally tire of the subject. There was AI in all sorts of things back in the 80's, but what I read and watched, they were a bit more creative. They called it "Supercomputer." "The Diode Flasher 9000." Or "Maurice." Not enough substance and very little style. GAME OVER.
May 25, 2024
Most 3 star books for me are just ok, fine, didn't love or hate, middle of the road, and not ones I think will be memorable. This book...is NOT one of those. This book gets 3 stars because I absolutely LOVED some things about it and absolutely HATED other things about it. So...depending on what your personal tastes are I feel like this could either really work for you or it could not. Flip a coin I guess...because I am right in the middle.
Let's start with what I loved: The premise, the characters, the setting, the overall story, and the short chapters. That seems like a lot of things to love...and i really did love those things. This had it all and could have easily been a 5 star read for me. If a movie is ever made...I would 100% go see it.
Unfortunately...there were too many things I hated that it just left me super frustrated. These things may not bother some people...so this is definitely down to personal preference...which is why I want to be as specific as possible but without spoilers.
This book is WAY too long for what it is. I feel like it needed some serious editing to cut all the extraneous stuff that slowed the pace down. I don't remember reading another book in recent memory that was so easy to set down and just not pick up for days as a time. Every other book I read over the past month held my attention more than this and I kept picking up other things. Which is crazy since I actually was loving the story...but the pacing was just a mess for me due to the length.
How might one cut a significant amount from this book without losing anything? Get rid of the extra POV chapters. This is a fairly "small" story...it takes place over one day in one small town, more than half of it in one place...the arcade. This thing had as many POV chapters as The Stand (I didn't actually count but it certainly felt like it). That is absolutely not necessary...I don't need a POV chapters from someone who we meet and dies in that same chapter. And I honestly don't need the POV of the bad guys...especially not multiple bad guys. Narrow the focus, pick your handful of main characters, and stick to it. Instead it felt like the author had cool ideas for certain scenes but you'd only "see" it from some random character so...here you go inside their head for 2 pages. It slowed the pacing down so much and I just didn't care about these things...they didn't matter to the story.
And that leads to a personal pet peeve of mine...head hopping POVs mid chapter. It drives me nuts. I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of third person omniscient...but it can be done well. This wasn't that...we had chapters primarily written from one character's POV and then...because it was convenient to do so...we are suddenly getting someone else's thoughts and what they are seeing. I know this doesn't bother some people...it's definitely down to personal preference...but if it bothers you then this might now be for you because it happens a lot. Pulls me right out of the story.
This next thing I hate to even mention because I am not the grammar and spelling police. I know not every book can be professionally edited and even the ones that are have errors. But there were spots in this book where there was an issue every other page...sometimes more. Grammar, spelling, a wrong but similar work used, missing words...it was so much that it impacted my reading. I think of it like a skip in a CD...you can be listening to a great song and if it skips once...annoying but you can move on. If it skips every ten seconds...you can't hear the song anymore because you're so distracted. That's what this is like for me when I'm reading. Again...pulls me out of the story.
So in the end...this just didn't deliver for me. I spent almost a whole month just frustrated by it. I kinda wish this had an audiobook because I think a lot of these flaws would be covers by a decent narrator.
One other word of caution...I don't personally have any triggers but there are two fairly common triggers in this book that people should definitely look up if they have triggers. I mean...if you are triggered by certain things you probably do anyway before jumping into a read but I was not expecting those things to be in this book based on the premise of the book so...I guess just don't forget to look them up if you need them.
I don't know if this review will help anyone...but it certainly makes me feel better to get my thoughts out there because they've been rattling around in my head for the past month as I've been reading this. I can totally see why people would love this...it just ended up not really working got me and I'm really very sad about it.
Let's start with what I loved: The premise, the characters, the setting, the overall story, and the short chapters. That seems like a lot of things to love...and i really did love those things. This had it all and could have easily been a 5 star read for me. If a movie is ever made...I would 100% go see it.
Unfortunately...there were too many things I hated that it just left me super frustrated. These things may not bother some people...so this is definitely down to personal preference...which is why I want to be as specific as possible but without spoilers.
This book is WAY too long for what it is. I feel like it needed some serious editing to cut all the extraneous stuff that slowed the pace down. I don't remember reading another book in recent memory that was so easy to set down and just not pick up for days as a time. Every other book I read over the past month held my attention more than this and I kept picking up other things. Which is crazy since I actually was loving the story...but the pacing was just a mess for me due to the length.
How might one cut a significant amount from this book without losing anything? Get rid of the extra POV chapters. This is a fairly "small" story...it takes place over one day in one small town, more than half of it in one place...the arcade. This thing had as many POV chapters as The Stand (I didn't actually count but it certainly felt like it). That is absolutely not necessary...I don't need a POV chapters from someone who we meet and dies in that same chapter. And I honestly don't need the POV of the bad guys...especially not multiple bad guys. Narrow the focus, pick your handful of main characters, and stick to it. Instead it felt like the author had cool ideas for certain scenes but you'd only "see" it from some random character so...here you go inside their head for 2 pages. It slowed the pacing down so much and I just didn't care about these things...they didn't matter to the story.
And that leads to a personal pet peeve of mine...head hopping POVs mid chapter. It drives me nuts. I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of third person omniscient...but it can be done well. This wasn't that...we had chapters primarily written from one character's POV and then...because it was convenient to do so...we are suddenly getting someone else's thoughts and what they are seeing. I know this doesn't bother some people...it's definitely down to personal preference...but if it bothers you then this might now be for you because it happens a lot. Pulls me right out of the story.
This next thing I hate to even mention because I am not the grammar and spelling police. I know not every book can be professionally edited and even the ones that are have errors. But there were spots in this book where there was an issue every other page...sometimes more. Grammar, spelling, a wrong but similar work used, missing words...it was so much that it impacted my reading. I think of it like a skip in a CD...you can be listening to a great song and if it skips once...annoying but you can move on. If it skips every ten seconds...you can't hear the song anymore because you're so distracted. That's what this is like for me when I'm reading. Again...pulls me out of the story.
So in the end...this just didn't deliver for me. I spent almost a whole month just frustrated by it. I kinda wish this had an audiobook because I think a lot of these flaws would be covers by a decent narrator.
One other word of caution...I don't personally have any triggers but there are two fairly common triggers in this book that people should definitely look up if they have triggers. I mean...if you are triggered by certain things you probably do anyway before jumping into a read but I was not expecting those things to be in this book based on the premise of the book so...I guess just don't forget to look them up if you need them.
I don't know if this review will help anyone...but it certainly makes me feel better to get my thoughts out there because they've been rattling around in my head for the past month as I've been reading this. I can totally see why people would love this...it just ended up not really working got me and I'm really very sad about it.
July 19, 2021
Man schreibt das Jahr 1981 – es ist Halloween. In eine der Vorstädte von Portland soll im Spielesalon Jimmys Arcade pünktlich zu Halloween die neuen Spielautomaten geliefert werden. Alle Jugendlichen der Stadt erwarten voller Vorfreude die neuen Spielautomaten mit dem Titel Polybius. Doch der Schein trügt. Denn Polybius ist eigentlich ein Mordspiel, dass Menschen beeinflussen kann. Bald schon heißt es: Aus Spaß wird ernst … todesernst.
Abseits meines Lieblingsgenre Thriller hatte ich Lust mal wieder was Verrücktes zu Lesen. Deswegen habe ich mir erhofft, dass ich mit diesem Horror-Roman fündig werde … und ich wurde fündig.
Zuerst muss ich sagen, dass mir das Setting richtig gut gefällt. Es erinnert mich teilweise an die Serie „Stranger Things“, da wir uns hier auch Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts befinden. Zudem verfolgen wir in der Serie sowie in diesem Roman die Geschichte um die Jugendliche sowie deren Verbindung zum Geschehnis. Es wird von Beginn an düster, aber auch schräg, da der Autor mit den aufkommenden Lastwagen in der Stadt sowie den Automaten eine mysteriöse Atmosphäre kreiert.
Mir hat die Figurenkonstellation gut gefallen, da diese aus verschiedenen Jugendlichen besteht, die man gleichzeitig auch gut unterscheiden kann. Ab und zu kam es vor, dass ich einzelne Figuren zuordnen musste, aber das kam wirklich selten vor. Wie erwähnt, wird es an manchen Stellen schräg. Dies liegt auch am Schreibstil des Autors, der manchmal ungewöhnliche Vergleiche oder auf eine sarkastische Schreibweise zurückgreift. Dennoch ist die Geschichte auf der anderen Seite spannend. Als Leser wollte ich unbedingt erfahren, was es mit dem Automaten auf sich hat und die Idee dahinter hat mir auch gut gefallen. Zu guter Letzt kann man noch etwas zur Brutalität des Buches sagen. Da es sich ja hier um einen Horror-Roman handelt, lassen sich viele Szenen im Buch wiederfinden, die einen brutalen sowie makabren Geschmack aufweisen. Wer also auch damit kein Problem hat, sollte sich diesen schrägen aber auch spannenden Horror-Roman holen.
Fazit: Was für eine Abwechslung! Dieser Horror-Roman konnte mich richtig gut unterhalten, da er eine schräge Horror-Story zu bieten hat. Wer also was Lockeres lesen möchte, der sollte zu diesem Buch zugreifen.
Abseits meines Lieblingsgenre Thriller hatte ich Lust mal wieder was Verrücktes zu Lesen. Deswegen habe ich mir erhofft, dass ich mit diesem Horror-Roman fündig werde … und ich wurde fündig.
Zuerst muss ich sagen, dass mir das Setting richtig gut gefällt. Es erinnert mich teilweise an die Serie „Stranger Things“, da wir uns hier auch Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts befinden. Zudem verfolgen wir in der Serie sowie in diesem Roman die Geschichte um die Jugendliche sowie deren Verbindung zum Geschehnis. Es wird von Beginn an düster, aber auch schräg, da der Autor mit den aufkommenden Lastwagen in der Stadt sowie den Automaten eine mysteriöse Atmosphäre kreiert.
Mir hat die Figurenkonstellation gut gefallen, da diese aus verschiedenen Jugendlichen besteht, die man gleichzeitig auch gut unterscheiden kann. Ab und zu kam es vor, dass ich einzelne Figuren zuordnen musste, aber das kam wirklich selten vor. Wie erwähnt, wird es an manchen Stellen schräg. Dies liegt auch am Schreibstil des Autors, der manchmal ungewöhnliche Vergleiche oder auf eine sarkastische Schreibweise zurückgreift. Dennoch ist die Geschichte auf der anderen Seite spannend. Als Leser wollte ich unbedingt erfahren, was es mit dem Automaten auf sich hat und die Idee dahinter hat mir auch gut gefallen. Zu guter Letzt kann man noch etwas zur Brutalität des Buches sagen. Da es sich ja hier um einen Horror-Roman handelt, lassen sich viele Szenen im Buch wiederfinden, die einen brutalen sowie makabren Geschmack aufweisen. Wer also auch damit kein Problem hat, sollte sich diesen schrägen aber auch spannenden Horror-Roman holen.
Fazit: Was für eine Abwechslung! Dieser Horror-Roman konnte mich richtig gut unterhalten, da er eine schräge Horror-Story zu bieten hat. Wer also was Lockeres lesen möchte, der sollte zu diesem Buch zugreifen.
October 16, 2020
“Nothing could stay the same after this halloween.... it’s going to be game over, for everyone”
.
This book is a lot of fun!!! It’s got that over the top 80s slasher vibe that I really enjoy. I could fully see this as a Netflix film in the style of The babysitter.
.
Polybius is set on Halloween night in 1981, Portland, Oregon. A mysterious arcade machine arrives at Jerry’s arcade and it’s going to be killer! Literally.
.
The story follows Matthew Riley, a computer nerd, who is desperately in love with his childhood best friend, the super popular and sporty Kara. She’s dating the most popular jock in school and he and his friends make Matthew and his friends lives hell.
(It’s the set up from all the 80s films and I was here for it!!!)
They’re all heading to Jerry’s arcade for a Halloween all nighter but they’re not all going to get out of it alive.
.
As I said, this book is so fun! I love the Polybius urban legend and computer games, so I was invested already!
There’s lots to love about this. Super short chapters that keep you page turning. Plus lots of gore!!! Lots!!! And it’s brutal in parts.
As I said earlier, it’s over the top. Think ultimate 80s slasher mixed with high school movie mixed with war games mixed with Tron 😂 That might be a terrible description!
It’s a great Halloween read if you’re in the mood for some 80s style horror fun!
.
This book is a lot of fun!!! It’s got that over the top 80s slasher vibe that I really enjoy. I could fully see this as a Netflix film in the style of The babysitter.
.
Polybius is set on Halloween night in 1981, Portland, Oregon. A mysterious arcade machine arrives at Jerry’s arcade and it’s going to be killer! Literally.
.
The story follows Matthew Riley, a computer nerd, who is desperately in love with his childhood best friend, the super popular and sporty Kara. She’s dating the most popular jock in school and he and his friends make Matthew and his friends lives hell.
(It’s the set up from all the 80s films and I was here for it!!!)
They’re all heading to Jerry’s arcade for a Halloween all nighter but they’re not all going to get out of it alive.
.
As I said, this book is so fun! I love the Polybius urban legend and computer games, so I was invested already!
There’s lots to love about this. Super short chapters that keep you page turning. Plus lots of gore!!! Lots!!! And it’s brutal in parts.
As I said earlier, it’s over the top. Think ultimate 80s slasher mixed with high school movie mixed with war games mixed with Tron 😂 That might be a terrible description!
It’s a great Halloween read if you’re in the mood for some 80s style horror fun!
December 27, 2020
This book is the quintessential 80's horror you can't help but to enjoy. It's about a mysterious black arcade game called Polybius, popping up in an arcade in a small town. If you play it, bad things happen. You follow quite a few characters and each have their own goals/plans of what they want to do Halloween night at the arcades special event. And boy...do things go awry.
I found this story to be pretty original and gloriously gory. There are quite a few trigger warnings (body horror, animal death, rape etc) but the one thing that made me uncomfortable was a couple young child deaths--so you've been warn! This isn't for the faint of hearts.
The ending reminded me of a specific 80's horror film I don't want to say but because it was sort of nostalgic because of that, I enjoyed it.
I recommend this book to people who love the 80's and classic horror thrills.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
I found this story to be pretty original and gloriously gory. There are quite a few trigger warnings (body horror, animal death, rape etc) but the one thing that made me uncomfortable was a couple young child deaths--so you've been warn! This isn't for the faint of hearts.
The ending reminded me of a specific 80's horror film I don't want to say but because it was sort of nostalgic because of that, I enjoyed it.
I recommend this book to people who love the 80's and classic horror thrills.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Read
February 3, 2021Excellent horror book. Brings you back to the arcades and colors of the 80s. It's a cheesy horror film in a book. What more can you ask for?
October 3, 2024
It's major flaw is there is such an abundance of characters that many feel like cutouts and the important things get forgotten for way too long, but otherwise this satisfies a tremendous itch. Based on an the old urban legend, Polybius is a story that falls on Devil's Night into Halloween about a mythical arcade machine and lots of men in black. It's a body count 80s horror flick in print, and more and more David Irons proves to be the man to pull it off.
August 25, 2021
Polybius von David Irons hat mich schon durch das Cover total angesprochen und so war ich gespannt was mich in dieser Geschichte erwartet:
Halloween 1981. Alles wartet gespannt auf den neuen Spielautomaten, der pünktlich zur Halloween-Party in Jerry’s Arcade geliefert werden soll. Ein Wahnsinnsspiel, der absolute Killer! Der graue Lastwagen, der am Morgen des 31. Oktober 1981 durch die Vorstadt von Portland rumpelt, könnte unauffälliger nicht sein. Ebenso wie seine Fracht; ein Spielautomat. Doch der Schein trügt. Denn POLYBIUS, die neue Spielautomaten-Sensation für Jerry’s Arcade, ist in vielerlei Hinsicht ein Mordsspiel. Bald schon heißt es GAME OVER für jeden...
David Irons entwirft hier ein unglaublich tolles 80er Jahre Setting das mein Herz sofort hat höher schlagen lassen. Es gibt so viele Anspielungen auf dieses tolle Jahrzehnt, von den Videospielen, über die Klamotten bis hin zu den Autos. Wir haben hier eine Mischung aus Stranger Things und Thron die mir unglaublich gut gefallen hat. Von Anfang an liegt eine düstere Atmosphäre in der Luft, die mit jeder Seite ein wenig beklemmender wird.
Die wichtigsten Figuren sind gut ausgearbeitet und passen sehr gut ins Setting der Geschichte. Ich konnte mir jeden einzelnen gut vorstellen, besonders die Gruppe der Jugendlichen hab ich schnell in mein Herz geschlossen.
Für mich war der Schreibstil anfangs etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, auch wenn er sehr einfach gehalten ist bin ich teilweise über die Wortwahl gestolpert bzw. kommt es ganz oft vor, das Worte direkt hintereinander wiederholt wurden, was mich etwas irritiert hat. Dennoch lässt sich die Geschichte schnell lesen und die Spannung ist hier jederzeit gegeben und steigert sich mit jedem Kapitel. Das große Mysterium ist der Spielautomat und ich mochte die Idee und die Ausführung jener sehr gerne. Sobald die Geschichte los legt, kommt es zu richtig makaberen und abgefahrenen Szenen wie man sie aus den guten alten Horrorfilmen kennt und liebt.
Polybius bietet alles was das 80er Jahre Horror Herz begehrt, eine tolle Geschichte mit interessanten aber auch sehr kranken Charakteren und einem tollen Setting. Wer auf etwas abgefahrenen und teilweise recht brutalen Horror steht, der wird hier definitiv fündig und seine helle Freude an dem Buch haben. Die Geschichte konnte mich auf jeden Fall packen und begeistern, deshalb gibt es für Fans des Genres auf jeden Fall eine Leseempfehlung.
4 von 5 Sternen
Halloween 1981. Alles wartet gespannt auf den neuen Spielautomaten, der pünktlich zur Halloween-Party in Jerry’s Arcade geliefert werden soll. Ein Wahnsinnsspiel, der absolute Killer! Der graue Lastwagen, der am Morgen des 31. Oktober 1981 durch die Vorstadt von Portland rumpelt, könnte unauffälliger nicht sein. Ebenso wie seine Fracht; ein Spielautomat. Doch der Schein trügt. Denn POLYBIUS, die neue Spielautomaten-Sensation für Jerry’s Arcade, ist in vielerlei Hinsicht ein Mordsspiel. Bald schon heißt es GAME OVER für jeden...
David Irons entwirft hier ein unglaublich tolles 80er Jahre Setting das mein Herz sofort hat höher schlagen lassen. Es gibt so viele Anspielungen auf dieses tolle Jahrzehnt, von den Videospielen, über die Klamotten bis hin zu den Autos. Wir haben hier eine Mischung aus Stranger Things und Thron die mir unglaublich gut gefallen hat. Von Anfang an liegt eine düstere Atmosphäre in der Luft, die mit jeder Seite ein wenig beklemmender wird.
Die wichtigsten Figuren sind gut ausgearbeitet und passen sehr gut ins Setting der Geschichte. Ich konnte mir jeden einzelnen gut vorstellen, besonders die Gruppe der Jugendlichen hab ich schnell in mein Herz geschlossen.
Für mich war der Schreibstil anfangs etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, auch wenn er sehr einfach gehalten ist bin ich teilweise über die Wortwahl gestolpert bzw. kommt es ganz oft vor, das Worte direkt hintereinander wiederholt wurden, was mich etwas irritiert hat. Dennoch lässt sich die Geschichte schnell lesen und die Spannung ist hier jederzeit gegeben und steigert sich mit jedem Kapitel. Das große Mysterium ist der Spielautomat und ich mochte die Idee und die Ausführung jener sehr gerne. Sobald die Geschichte los legt, kommt es zu richtig makaberen und abgefahrenen Szenen wie man sie aus den guten alten Horrorfilmen kennt und liebt.
Polybius bietet alles was das 80er Jahre Horror Herz begehrt, eine tolle Geschichte mit interessanten aber auch sehr kranken Charakteren und einem tollen Setting. Wer auf etwas abgefahrenen und teilweise recht brutalen Horror steht, der wird hier definitiv fündig und seine helle Freude an dem Buch haben. Die Geschichte konnte mich auf jeden Fall packen und begeistern, deshalb gibt es für Fans des Genres auf jeden Fall eine Leseempfehlung.
4 von 5 Sternen
December 29, 2021
Fun '80s throwback novel based on the urban legend of the same name. How is this writer not a bigger deal?
March 24, 2023
Polybius is the deadliest arcade thriller of our generation.
I didn't buy and read this book expecting it to be life-altering or to learn anything about myself. It's not one that made me lose sleep or one that stuck with me deep in my gut long after the last page. What I bought and read Polybius for was to have fun reading something. And this book WAS fun. This book is a GREAT escape from your typical tense, dark horror reads and has nothing to prove with fancy prose or ambiguous Freudian storylines... It is straight-forward and blunt with simple-yet-enjoyable writing. The dialogue was realistic and flowed. Also fun. the characters were cool and totally 80s and oh yes, fun. Toward the middle of the book, things took a very unexpected gory turn (I felt like I was watching an 80's zombie movie with skin peeling from faces, etc.) which was, you guessed it... also fun. I highly recommend to anyone who needs a change of pace in their reading or want to relive some moments from their childhood. Totally KILLER book.
I didn't buy and read this book expecting it to be life-altering or to learn anything about myself. It's not one that made me lose sleep or one that stuck with me deep in my gut long after the last page. What I bought and read Polybius for was to have fun reading something. And this book WAS fun. This book is a GREAT escape from your typical tense, dark horror reads and has nothing to prove with fancy prose or ambiguous Freudian storylines... It is straight-forward and blunt with simple-yet-enjoyable writing. The dialogue was realistic and flowed. Also fun. the characters were cool and totally 80s and oh yes, fun. Toward the middle of the book, things took a very unexpected gory turn (I felt like I was watching an 80's zombie movie with skin peeling from faces, etc.) which was, you guessed it... also fun. I highly recommend to anyone who needs a change of pace in their reading or want to relive some moments from their childhood. Totally KILLER book.
January 9, 2025
Die Geschichte von „Polybius – Game Over“ war mir an einigen Stellen etwas zu abgedreht (SPOILER), zum Beispiel, als sich die infizierten Jugendlichen in irgendwelche Strahlen-Monster verwandelten, (SPOILER ENDE) und insgesamt zu spannungsarm, auf eine Art und Weise mochte ich das Buch aber auch. Einige Charaktere wie Matthew, Elizabeth, Kara und Sophie gefielen mir nämlich sehr gut, genauso wie der Schreibstil. Auch das Setting und die Idee hatten wirklich Potenzial, nur würde ich sagen, dass dieses leider nicht ganz ausgeschöpft wurde. Am Ende hätte ich mir außerdem noch ein Nachwort gewünscht, da die Geschichte ja auf einem tatsächlich existierenden Mythos basiert. (SPOILER) Gewissermaßen ist das mit dem Epilog passiert, doch mir hätte es auch gefallen, wenn der Autor den Mythos selbst noch einmal erklärt hätte. SPOILER ENDE)
Noch eine kleine Anmerkung: Auf Seite 184 steht „eine Namensschild“, auf Seite 295 steht „untern“ statt „unten“ und auf Seite 368 steht „sie hatte“ statt „sie hatten“.
Fazit: „Polybius – Game Over“ fand ich insgesamt solide, der Geschichte fehlte nur leider die Spannung und vieles wirkte noch ausbaufähig.
Noch eine kleine Anmerkung: Auf Seite 184 steht „eine Namensschild“, auf Seite 295 steht „untern“ statt „unten“ und auf Seite 368 steht „sie hatte“ statt „sie hatten“.
Fazit: „Polybius – Game Over“ fand ich insgesamt solide, der Geschichte fehlte nur leider die Spannung und vieles wirkte noch ausbaufähig.
October 25, 2022
At first I didn't know if I would make it through this book, it is very raunchy and the language it a bit too much for me...but then I have to remember this is suppose to be similar to those 80 B rated movies they made in our time that were just plain outrageous!
After realizing that I found myself actually liking it. It would be make an amazing B rated movie, Action, adventure, and some shenanigans, everything you want in a retro story about a killer arcade machine that takes out a few teenagers on Halloween.
After realizing that I found myself actually liking it. It would be make an amazing B rated movie, Action, adventure, and some shenanigans, everything you want in a retro story about a killer arcade machine that takes out a few teenagers on Halloween.
September 8, 2020
This story is a real 80s filled horror inducing thrill ride. I absolutely loved every second. Based on an urban legend about an arcade game in the 80s, David has created an intense ride which would not be out of place in an 80s teen slasher horror movie. Attention to detail had me right there in the story. I wont give it away but the twists and turns were completely unexpected and I never saw the ending coming! If your a fan of 80s horror and urban legends, Polybius wont leave you disappointed.
January 9, 2021
This one wasn't for me. Which is a shame because I really loved Irons' Graveyard Billy - it was my favorite horror book of 2020.
I couldn't handle the over the top foul language and the characters all felt flat to me - I'd have liked to see more development for them.
I'll still check out Irons' upcoming books, but this particular book is not getting my recommendation.
I couldn't handle the over the top foul language and the characters all felt flat to me - I'd have liked to see more development for them.
I'll still check out Irons' upcoming books, but this particular book is not getting my recommendation.
March 11, 2025
I give this a million stars!! 🌟 this book was pure perfection and I loved every word of it!!
The characters = outstanding
The setting = adorable
The villains = chef’s kiss
David Irons absolutely killed it with this one! By far, one of my favorite reads of all time and definitely at the top for 2025. This one will be hard to beat!
I can’t wait to get my hands on more of his stories.
The characters = outstanding
The setting = adorable
The villains = chef’s kiss
David Irons absolutely killed it with this one! By far, one of my favorite reads of all time and definitely at the top for 2025. This one will be hard to beat!
I can’t wait to get my hands on more of his stories.
March 10, 2022
A dam good horror novel, feels great 80s horror film.
Read
March 21, 2022Although the urban legend fascinates me, this book just couldn't keep my attention . DNF
April 19, 2022
3.5* I loved the 80s atmosphere, it really felt like I was there in high school. I felt the story lost a little bit of its way in the second half but overall it was enjoyable.
Read
February 11, 2023Not sure how to rate it, but it was entertaining.
October 27, 2025
I bought this book for the cool retro cover. As luck would have it the story was just as awesome. If you are a fan of 80’s horror you will love this book.
October 7, 2023
3.5 very close to 4 love the lore just a little to long for me
Great story
Full of 80s and 90s goodness
Nostalgic feels
Slasher vibes
Retro video games
Reminds of a particular movie
Pretty gross too
Great story
Full of 80s and 90s goodness
Nostalgic feels
Slasher vibes
Retro video games
Reminds of a particular movie
Pretty gross too
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews