Octagon (novel)

Protagonist Alex Barrow discovers that his opponents in the science fiction play-by-mail game Starweb are being murdered.

Greg Costikyan reviewed Octagon in Ares Magazine #11 and commented that "Octagon is a good mystery novel which explores a rather interesting theme: the idea that a clever programmer can manipulate records and programs in our computer-based world to his own ends."{{cite journal | last=Costikyan | first=Greg | author-link=Greg Costikyan | title=Books | journal=Ares Magazine | publisher=Simulations Publications, Inc. | date=November 1981 | issue=11 | page=24}}

Dave Langford reviewed Octagon for White Dwarf #68, and stated that "it's a pleasant thriller with the computer-moderated RPG Starweb getting uncomfortable as players are eliminated not by strategy but by assassination. I recommend this technique to Diplomacy addicts. The villain's identity is obvious long before the story reveals it, but it's all quite tense nevertheless."{{cite magazine | last =Langford | first =Dave | author-link =David Langford | title =Critical Mass | magazine =White Dwarf | issue =68 | pages =15 | publisher =Games Workshop | year = August 1985 }}

• Review by Tom Easton (1982) in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, March 1, 1982
• Review by Tom A. Jones (1985) in Vector 127

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Category:1981 American novels