In an indeterminate future where life no longer holds value, the desperate accept any fate.

The protagonist decides to go all-in by participating in a sadistic TV game to earn some money, while his wife is out on the streets looking for a crust of bread.

But can one trust the creators of such perverse games? What kind of morality could these individuals possibly have? Is participating and winning a realizable dream or a crazy utopia?

A short novel by the King of Beginnings that, like "The Long March," weaves a story of acidic morality and false hopes.

This tale takes us into a world where the line between right and wrong is blurred, and the characters are forced to make choices that will determine their fates.

As we follow the protagonist's journey, we are left to wonder if there is any hope for redemption in a world that has lost its way.

The author's vivid descriptions and engaging narrative keep us on the edge of our seats, eager to see what will happen next.

Overall, this is a thought-provoking and captivating read that will leave a lasting impression on the reader.

After The Most Dangerous Game, there was The Running Man. Before The Hunger Games, there was The Running Man. After 1984, there was The Running Man. Before reality TV, there was The Running Man.

This is a disturbing and enthralling cautionary tale predicted by our forefathers, seen in new dystopian novels, and becoming all too real in this age of political turmoil, social media, and reality overload. It's one of King's early novels under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. In the foreword, he mentions that it has a darker tone that he tended to use when writing as Bachman. The foreword is a very interesting addition to the story and was updated from the one included in the original Bachman Books (where I first read this story).

Oh, and that jogs another memory. Not only did I read this in the original Bachman Books, it was the first Stephen King book I ever read! I was probably 12 at the time – likely too young to be reading this, but I did it anyway! I had seen the movie The Running Man, which, while it's not much like the book, is, in my opinion, a fantastically campy and entertaining 80s action flick. Some people think it's awful – I think King even believes that – but I'm not ashamed to say that I loved it! Anyway, I knew my dad was into Stephen King and had all his books up to that point so I figured I should give it a go. I wasn't disappointed at the time and I wasn't disappointed this time either.

If you like cautionary dystopian tales, I think you have to read this. There is just too much going on here for dystopian fans that you do yourself a disservice if you don't read it.

The idea I find quite promising. It seems to hold a lot of potential and shows great promise for various applications. However, unfortunately, it did not captivate me as expected.

Perhaps it was the way it was presented or maybe my own preconceived notions that led to this outcome. Nevertheless, I still believe that there is value in the idea and it could potentially be developed further to reach its full potential.

It might require some fine-tuning or a different approach to truly engage and interest me. I will continue to keep an open mind and see if any new developments or improvements can change my perspective on this promising idea.

When Ben Richard's daughter succumbs to pneumonia, he is left with no other option but to seek help from the Network. This leads him to become a contestant on the deadliest of all reality shows, The Running Man. The question that looms large is whether Richards can run for a long enough time to earn the money required for his daughter's life-saving medicine. And as he embarks on this perilous journey, running for his life for the amusement of the public watching The Running Man, what will he discover about himself and the world around him?

This is indeed the best book that has been made into a movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. In fact, apart from a few character names, the dystopian setting, and the concept of a reality show where the contestants face a high probability of death, it bears very little resemblance to the Arnold flick.

Richard Bachman had a penchant for creating dystopian worlds, didn't he? This particular work bears a striking resemblance to our current reality TV landscape. It's quite remarkable how Bachman was able to predict the rise of reality TV decades before it actually came to fruition.

Ben Richards is an unemployed and seemingly hopeless individual. His wife resorts to desperate measures, occasionally turning tricks to make ends meet. In a bid to earn some much-needed money, he finds himself on The Running Man, running for his life in a polluted and deteriorating world.

The suspense in this story steadily builds as Richards gets more deeply embroiled in the game. Can he trust anyone? How is the Network able to track his every move? Will his daughter still be alive by the time the crucial money reaches her? As the story progresses towards its climax, things start to fall apart for him, and the tension becomes almost palpable.

Richards is a far more complex and multi-dimensional character than his Arnold version. As his sense of desperation intensifies, it becomes easy for the reader to put themselves in his shoes and imagine the turmoil he is going through.

Like many others, I believe that The Running Man is likely one of the predecessors of the Hunger Games, along with The Long Walk.

That's essentially all I have to say about this book. It's a captivating and easy read, a far cry from the more verbose and perhaps overly elaborate works of Richard Bachman in his later years. I would rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

WARNING: Do NOT read the author foreward. It totally gives away a climactic ending. Thanks to the GoodReads community for warning me.


I feel as if I've just completed a grueling marathon, my heart pounding and my breath ragged. From the moment I cracked open the book, I was completely enveloped in the story, unable to tear myself away until the intense, heart-stopping conclusion. I don't often say this. It usually takes me a while to feel at ease within the pages of a new book. I like to take my time, to explore and form my own opinions. But Stephen King, with his insidiously brilliant writing, lured me in from the very first page, like a spider trapping a helpless little moth in its web.


\\n  Plot Summary\\n


Our protagonist is Ben Richards, an ordinary man struggling to survive in a bleak and dystopian future United States. In this version of our future, the gap between the rich and the poor is wider than ever. The wealthy enjoy luxurious cars, abundant groceries, and top-notch medical care. Meanwhile, the poor, like Richards, face a daily struggle. His wife works as a prostitute to support the family, and their baby girl is bedridden with influenza because they can't afford proper medicine. As his daughter's condition deteriorates, Richards makes a desperate decision. He enters a live TV game show called Running Man. For every hour he survives, he will earn 100 New Bucks. But to do so, he must evade professional Hunters hired to track him down and kill him, all while disguising himself from the locals who are offered money rewards for reporting his sighting.


This concept may remind readers of other well-known works of popular fiction.





And even another King novel with a similar premise.





There are likely many more that I haven't read or even heard of. But despite this, The Running Man was, even to my Hunger Games-saturated mind, an absolute adrenaline rush.


In essence, The Running Man is a prime example of action-driven storytelling at its finest. The pacing is relentless, leaving little time for the reader to truly understand the world and its inhabitants. We don't get a deep exploration of why the world has become this way, why people find entertainment in watching others being hunted and killed, or why there is such a lack of sympathy for those suffering. It's a non-stop thrill ride, with gunshots and sirens constantly blaring in the background, keeping us on the edge of our seats.


Granted, the characters Richards encounters on his journey are an interesting and diverse bunch. But while I felt some sympathy for them, my main focus was always on the burning question: what happens next? The one exception may be Bradley, but I was satisfied enough to know that he was alive and still on the run.


Consequently, Richards himself doesn't lend himself to deep, philosophical questioning of the morality of the government or his own actions. He's a good man, but he's forced to do whatever it takes to survive and provide for his family. He shoots, kills, and blows things up, all in the name of self-preservation. He's a likeable character, but he's not particularly complex. He has his motives and moments of moral ambiguity, especially when he kidnaps the woman, but even then, he's a relatively decent guy given the circumstances, but overall, he's just a cog in the machine that is the story. And it's the story that truly shines in this book.


Overall, The Running Man was a fantastic read. It's dark, action-packed, and a little bit wonky, if you will. The prose is peppered with some outdated slang, and the world-building, while visually striking, is somewhat lacking in depth. But the story itself is so engaging and exciting that it more than makes up for any shortcomings. I would highly recommend this book to fans of gritty, dystopian fiction.


3.5 to 4.0 stars.

Let me provide you with the most crucial information you need prior to reading this book:

Do not read the forward by Stephen King before delving into the story!! He reveals the ending of his own book within it!

Yes, that truly stunk because I knew what would ultimately occur, and it was so suspenseful that it would have been amazing to remain in a state of wonder as to whether this poor fellow would actually succeed. However, even with the unfortunate knowledge I had, I was still on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. That Stephen King always manages to captivate me. He is the master.

Okay, perhaps I don't like him THIS much. But, he is damn good.

This book was written in the 1980's and essentially demonstrates that SK was a psychic or something because he predicted that reality television shows would dominate the world by now. Granted, they are a bit more brutal than what we have currently, but within the next few years, when the book is set, I'm certain we'll have advanced to this level of evil entertainment.

Here are the names of some of the popular reality shows:

Swim with Crocodiles

Fun Guns

How Hot can You Take it?

Dig your own Grave

and Treadmill to Bucks (you have to have a heart condition to play this one)

In some of these shows, you are merely maimed or end up in a hospital, but the biggest show, \\"Running Man\\", is the most popular. The contestant in that one meets a fatal end. But, hey, they accumulate $100 for every hour they survive for their family, so unless dad is a selfish jerk, he will do it for his family.

Sometimes you just have to make a sacrifice for the team.

Our main character is on Running Man. His objective is to stay alive for as long as possible while there is a nationwide manhunt for him. He is given money and a head start, and then there are hunters in pursuit of him. Viewers receive $100 if they spot him and call in, and $1,000 if it leads to his capture or death. The contestants are always depicted as heinous criminals, so the public generally desires to see them killed and feels it is justified.

The amusing thing is that there was a real reality show with a similar premise, but without the killing aspect. It didn't interest me much. Maybe if they had included the killing, I would have watched. So, in other words, we are completely ready for this. And, with our new president and the most likely entry into our own dystopia, perhaps it will be soon.

It's either the Hunger Games or the Apes. Maybe we can have another vote on which one we prefer?

Or, you can write-in Ants.

This book was filled with non-stop action, and I really couldn't put it down. You find yourself rooting for him, yet he isn't likable. You are disgusted by the society, and there is also a sense of despair and depression. It's not hopeful, but it's difficult not to hope that he will somehow overthrow the powers that be. If I hadn't been spoiled, I'm not entirely sure how I would have reacted to the ending, but it was one hell of an ending.

Trigger warnings: everything. There is so much offensive material in this book that you might not even want to attempt it if you are in any way sensitive. There is racism, homophobia, offensive language, and gruesome violence.

The dystopia that is clearly what we are heading towards.

It's a beautiful story with lovely details, but unfortunately, the translation is very bad.

Dystopia often presents a world that is filled with various problems and challenges. In this case, the story seems to have a lot of potential with its interesting plot and charming details. However, the poor translation has really affected the overall experience. A good translation is crucial as it can bring the essence of the original work to a wider audience. It's a pity that in this instance, the translation has not done justice to the story. Maybe with a better translation, more people would be able to appreciate the beauty and depth of this dystopian tale.

\\n  Halt!\\n If you haven't read this Stephen King book written as Richard Bachman, be aware that the introduction should really have a'spoiler warning' tape around it, but it doesn't. I thought it might be because of King's issue with the revelation of the Bachman identity (which I completely respect), but the same thing happened to me with Pet Sematary, so that theory is no good. (Thanks to Richard for trying to save me after that first disaster.)

It wasn't my favorite King or Bachman adventure. Maybe it's because these "dystopias" are starting to seem all too familiar, and one could even argue that we're already in a similar situation. However, like all of Uncle Stevie's work, it's still well worth reading. And just in case you haven't realized that the story isn't about the early-90s dance move, here's a little hint for you.

\\n  \\n

This was a rather good story, yet it was quite distinct from what I had anticipated. Naturally, I was aware that it was a dystopia, centered around a game-show. However, apart from that, I had scant knowledge about the plot. I have never seen the movie - and upon looking at IMDB at this moment, that might very well be a fortunate thing - so I didn't even have those misapprehensions to grapple with. Ben Richards was not an ex-cop wrongly accused of anything. He was born into an unfavorable economic situation and became bitter as a result. Working in a factory that was known to cause sterility at best, he quit in an attempt to have a child... and made the error of revealing the truth about why he quit, which blacklisted him from obtaining any other stable employment. He and his wife finally managed to conceive, but there was still no work to be found. Consequently, they had no food, no medicine, and barely a place to live, thanks to Ben's wife who resorted to prostitution to try to make ends meet. When the baby contracted pneumonia, Ben became desperate and signed up with the Network to appear on a game show for money.

The one he managed to get on was The Running Man. Here's the deal: One man endeavors to last a full 30 days while being chased by a team of hunters, and the Network turns the citizens against him. If a citizen turns him in and he is killed, that person receives a reward. If he succeeds, the contestant gets $1 billion New Dollars. For every hour he remains alive, the contestant (or his family when he's killed) will receive $100 ND. He only has to film 2 10-minute tapes and mail them to the Network every day, or he defaults and wins nothing... but is still hunted.

So this is what Bitter Ben signed up for. But he is intelligent, and his game show experience proves to be like no other.

This was somewhat brutal, but being a Bachman book, that is to be expected. However, there was also a kind of 'skim' sensation to the story. Things didn't really delve all that deeply, such as with the pollution and corruption, etc., but it doesn't really need to. The context is sufficient to understand it, but it would add a great deal if it just had that extra something.

I found myself pondering about the Network. The cynical part of me kept wondering how people could trust their promises to pay and not rig the game. I suppose it's desperation. But then I began to think about how the Network goes to great lengths to demonize the contestants participating in The Running Man, transforming everyday citizens into blood-thirsty vigilantes who believe that they are working towards a greater good in ridding their country of criminals... and I started thinking, "OK, so, if a contestant lasts the full 30 days, and suppose the Network does uphold its promise to call off their dogs and pay out -- who is to call off the citizens? Those people who've been lied to and manipulated and think that the contestant really is as bad as they've been told? THEY won't stop believing that the contestant is a criminal just because they were intelligent and crafty enough to evade the hunters for a month... if anything, that would strengthen their suspicions that they play by their own rules. It's a losing game all the way through.

Ben definitely plays by his own rules, and the way things unfold was not at all what I expected. I thought it was a good ending.

I will say that there were a couple of things that I found rather distracting though. First, King's portrayal of the future was a bit off, mainly in terms of money. I know he's no fortune teller, but I couldn't help but think that he was using 1970s pricing in the story, and then simply labeling it "New Dollars" to make it sound more futuristic. Things like buying a baby crib mobile for 10 cents. Or obtaining narcotics for $3. I would have found it far more believable if he had made the prices of things so absurd that a billion dollar prize would have seemed reasonable.

Secondly, as the main hunter, Evan McCone was really disappointing. This guy is supposed to be the most ruthless, the most fearless, the most resourceful and clever killer out there. His job involves hunting down Running Man contestants and killing them on national TV. But I thought he was rather... average. *sigh*

Overall, I liked the story, but I can't say that it's a favorite. Definitely worth a read though.

This Richard Bachman guy can truly write with great skill.

This is the final one among the early Bachman books that I have read, and it is likely my favorite. I adored every single aspect of it. Starting from Richards as the protagonist, his character was so engaging and well-developed.

The suspense of the chase throughout the story had me on the edge of my seat, constantly wondering what would happen next.

And let's not forget the ridiculous cast of characters that assist him along the way. They added a unique charm and humor to the narrative.

This book is so截然不同 from the movie, which was my only prior acquaintance with this story. I'm extremely glad that both versions of this exist.

This book gave me a very Billy Summers-like feeling, and Billy Summers is another top-10 King novel. In fact, I even liked certain elements of this book better.

Despite all the excessive hate that the Bachman books receive, I have truly loved my experience with them so far.

I can't wait to explore more of Richard Bachman's works and see what other精彩 stories he has to offer.

I didn't enjoy this as much as I did the first time.

There could be several reasons for this. Maybe it's the story itself that didn't hold my interest as strongly the second time around.

Or perhaps it's related to the age at which I read it both times. As we grow older, our perspectives and interests change, and that could have affected my perception.

Another factor to consider is the narrator for this go-round. The way a story is narrated can have a significant impact on our enjoyment.

I need to think about this more carefully before I can write a proper review.

I'll try to analyze each of these aspects and figure out which one had the most influence on my experience.

Stay tuned for my review! ;)

Published in 1982, "The Running Man" is a captivating dystopian thriller that takes place in the future, specifically in the year 2025. In this bleak era, the economy lies in ruins, and morality has plummeted to its lowest ebb.

Everything can be fabricated and passed off as real, while violence reigns supreme. Imagine a situation where your child is ill, and you lack the means to purchase medicine. Worse still, you don't even have enough money to provide food for your family.

Now, there is a game, a reality show similar to "Survivor" that you can choose to participate in. If you emerge victorious, you will receive a substantial sum of money. However, if you lose, the consequence is death. It is an intense game of cat and mouse, filled with violence and bloodshed. Your sole task is to evade capture, and your only objective is to stay alive.

The question that looms large is: Would you play this game? The decision is not an easy one, as it forces you to confront the harsh reality of a world where survival is the ultimate goal and the line between right and wrong is blurred.