The Running Man

Published: 1982

The Running Man (1982), published under King's Richard Bachman pseudonym, is a dystopian thriller set in 2025 America, where economic collapse has created extreme class division. Desperate to earn money for his sick daughter's medicine, Ben Richards joins the deadly game show 'The Running Man,' where contestants are pursued by Hunters as they try to evade capture and death for 30 days. The longer they survive, the more money they earn—if they survive at all. Unlike the more tongue-in-cheek 1987 film adaptation, the novel is brutally dark, focusing on societal collapse, media manipulation, and class warfare. King reportedly wrote the entire manuscript in just 72 hours, giving it a raw, propulsive energy. Initially released as a paperback original under the Bachman name, the book didn't receive significant critical attention until King's identity as Bachman was revealed in 1985. Since then, the novel has been reassessed as a prescient critique of reality television and media exploitation decades before such shows became commonplace. Readers have increasingly appreciated its unrelenting pace, grim social commentary, and explosive conclusion. King himself has acknowledged the book's flaws but noted its social awareness and political themes that recur throughout his work. The Running Man stands as one of King's most politically charged novels, with its exploration of class disparity, corporate control, and media manipulation feeling increasingly relevant. First Bachman editions are now collectible, particularly as the novel's reputation has grown over time, though later editions are widely available under King's name.

Themes

• Dystopia
• Media manipulation
• Survival
• Desperation
• Class struggle

Adaptations

• 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (very loose adaptation)

Collector Notes

Paperback original; first printings as Bachman are collectible. Later reissued under King's name.