I have very fond memories of spending countless hours at the arcade, and you were always looking for the next great game to arrive. But what if the latest arcade game was so addictive that its grasp begins to infect everyone in your local town? From writer Collin Armstrong, Polybius is an upcoming novel based on the "terrifying urban legend about a video game created by the government for psychological warfare." Described as Stranger Things meets The Walking Dead, Polybius will be released on April 29th, and we're excited to share with Daily Dead readers the entire 14-page prologue that you can read right now!
"October, 1982. Forced to move to the quiet seaside town of Tasker Bay by her mother, the only thing on high schooler Andi’s mind is saving up enough money to return to her old stomping grounds in Silicon Valley. Her self-taught skills with all things electronic make her a perfect fit for a job at the dingy local arcade where she can tune out from life and bankroll her eventual escape.
Pining over the distant and aloof Andi is Ro, the son of Tasker Bay’s sheriff, who begins spending more time at the arcade. Despite promising herself she wouldn’t get attached to anyone in town, Andi finds herself opening up to the thoughtful, like-minded Ro.
When Polybius—a new bleeding-edge game of unknown origin arrives—the shop is suddenly overwhelmed with players fighting for time on the machine. Seemingly overnight, a virus-like epidemic grips Tasker Bay while a violent coastal storm rolls in, isolating it from the outside world. People begin experiencing fits of anger, paranoia, and hallucinations—no one can be trusted. After a grisly act of violence goes unsolved, the town descends into chaos. Is the arrival of this mysterious game and the disorder in Tasker Bay a coincidence? Convinced the dire situation is somehow linked to Polybius, Andi and Ro desperately search for clues that might stop the spread before they, too, begin experiencing side effects…"
Author Collin Armstrong comments on the urban legend and starting this book during the COVID-19 shutdown:
"POLYBIUS is based on an urban legend that can be traced back to the mid-00s. The loose story was that, in a few small towns in the pacific northwest circa 1980, an arcade cabinet called Polybius was drawing huge crowds. It was addictive, and it started giving its players nightmares. It drove at least one to self-harm. Some men-in-black types showed up from time to time, downloading data from the cabinets. The book was started during the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown, after the show I'd been working on was shut down. The uncertainty and anxiety of those early days found its way into the story, and there is a viral-like quality to the evil at the story's center."
You can pre-order Polybius now by visiting:
To read the entire Polybius prologue, click on the cover below or visit:
After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.
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