The Running Man [Paperback]

Stephen King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2009

Every night the whole nation watches the ultimate live game show on TV, as the contestants try to beat annihilation at the hands of the hunters in order to win the billion dollar jackpot. And now there is a new contestant, the latest "Running Man", staking his life while a nation watches.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) crafted The Running Man early in his career, though after such mega-hits as Carrie and The Shining. A bit of a departure from the supernatural horror that is most frequently associated with his work, the novel describes a science fiction dystopia where market capitalism and television game shows have spiraled out of control, and the separation between the haves and the have-nots has been formalized with separate currencies. King establishes characters quickly, creating sympathy in the first few pages for Ben Richards--whose 18-month-old baby girl is suffering from a horrible cough, perhaps pneumonia. Not able to afford medicine, Richards enters himself in the last-chance money-making scheme of the Free-Vee games. The games include Treadmill to Bucks, in which heart-attack prone contestants struggle to outlast a progressively demanding treadmill, or the accurately named Swim the Crocodiles. After a rigorous battery of physical and mental examinations, Richards is assigned "Elevator Six"--the path of a chosen few--that leads to The Running Man game. In this game, the stakes and the prizes are raised. Success means a life of luxury. Failure means death. Unfortunately, few ever win the game; in fact, as the producer tells Richards, in six years no one has survived.

The Running Man is a short book, tightly written to be read and enjoyed quickly. The future world it depicts is vividly captured with a few essential details. The action is also fast paced and, though the novel differs from much of King's other work, the sardonic social commentary reveals a pleasing glimmer of King's characteristically twisted sense of humor. --Patrick O'Kelley --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'Merely by tickling the keys of his word-processor King can make the flesh creep half a world away' -- The Times 'Stephen King is one of those natural storytellers...getting hooked is easy' -- Frances Fyfield, Express 'An incredibly gifted writer, whose writing, like Truman Capote's, is so fluid that you often forget that you're reading' -- Guardian --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Signet (November 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451230620
• ISBN-13: 978-0451230621
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (123 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #344,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You can run but you can't hide., November 15, 2003

By 

bonsai chicken (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Running Man (Mass Market Paperback)

It is the year 2025, TV is truly the opiate of the people, and society is divided sharply between the haves and the have-nots. Ben Richards' family is in the latter group. He's been unfairly blacklisted and his wife has had to resort to hooking to pay the bills. Meanwhile, his baby daughter lies ill with the flu - perfectly treatable if only they could afford it. Desperate and at the end of his rope, Richards opts to participate in a game show called "The Running Man." He is to become the quarry in a deadly hunt that will last no more than thirty days. For each day he successfully evades his pursuers, his family earns a large sum of money.

No one has ever lasted more than eight days.

The games network, of course, hardly plays fair. The rules require Ben to periodically mail in videos, thereby running the risk of giving his location away. And rewards are given for any information leading to his apprehension, so Richards is also playing against a bored and bloodthirsty public -- in other words, everyone. The ongoing hunt is very suspenseful, but it's when Richards finally confronts his true nemesis that things get really interesting.

As I was reading I couldn't help thinking that this story was ready-made for film. It moves along at a rapid pace, especially once the game is underway. It's not simplistic, but neither is it complicated enough that it should require much tampering. (I've not yet seen the movie, but from what I have heard they somehow dropped the ball. Too bad.)

The concept of reality TV probably seemed outrageous or at least far-fetched in 1982, when The Running Man first appeared. Now it seems disturbingly prescient. Though the book belongs in the science fiction genre, it is more frightening than many of his horror stories. One warning about this edition: the story is prefaced by an introduction lifted from the earlier Bachman Books publication, and for some reason King gives away the ending in it. Maybe it's an editing oversight. In any case, save it until you've read the book. It will allow you a more powerful reading experience.

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Watch out for the spolier in "The Importance of Being Bachman" intro, August 27, 2009

By 

R. Walton (Worcester, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Running Man (Kindle Edition)

I am only leaving this review for one purpose, to warn you about a spoiler in the intro. Don't worry I am not going to spoil it for you to. In the intro by King called The Importance of Being Bachman, he quite literally tells you the ending. It took a lot of the fun out of the book, and I just wanted to let others know that the spoiler was in there.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THRILLING, FAST-PACED AND HIGHLY ENJOYABLE READING, July 8, 1999

By 

A. Proctor [e-mail] (SE Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Running Man (Paperback)

If you have ever wanted to read a book purely for the sake of enjoyment, then "The Running Man" is definately for you. Written by King in his early days, this work displays all of the author's talents outside of those involving horror to create a story that is impossible to put down, and prone to numerous re-readings, especially because of its size (just over 200 pp). Just to warn you, this book has NOTHING to do with the motion picture that starred good 'ol Arnold quite a few years back. If the movie did have anything to do with this book,...well, let's just say that it would have been much, much better. The story revolves around one of King's simplest but best literaty characters, Ben Richards, who exists in a futuristic world of disease, capitalism and the all-important "free-vee" that has brainwashed the planet and caused massive seperation in the classes. In order to save his wife and young daughter from a terrible fate, Richards enters the free-vee's most popular game-show, The Running Man, where he voluntarily becomes the most wanted man on earth in order to survive 30 days and receive his billion dollar prize. ANYBODY is capable of turing him in, and trust me, this element alone adds to the story in such a way that causes the pace becomes frantic and the excitement to reach a fever-pitch numerous times throughout the story. Whether or not you a King fan, this book is a DEFINATE MUST-READ. If you want to read a book for yourself and just for kicks, than look no further. Read "The Running Man!"