Stephen King Fans discussion

Discuss the Running Man here. Please mark all spoilers for those reading along.

I love this story! It was decades ahead of it's time. There was no reality t.v. when he wrote it, and it doesn't feel that far-fetched anymore.

I thought this was a great book,made me think of the Hunger Games.I’m not sure why I haven’t read it before.The future in it doesn’t seem that far fetched.

I would agree with that. I'm bearing the end. I haven't read this in years.

Just found this at my library for sale for fifty cents :-)

Paul wrote: "I thought this was a great book,made me think of the Hunger Games.I’m not sure why I haven’t read it before.The future in it doesn’t seem that far fetched."

I thought so too. But I thought THE LONG WALK was, even more, a precursor of THE HUNGER GAMES.

Heather wrote: "Just found this at my library for sale for fifty cents :-)"

Heather Buy Buy Buy, it is a must. at that price it can't be resisted.

Nick wrote: "Paul wrote: "I thought this was a great book,made me think of the Hunger Games.I’m not sure why I haven’t read it before.The future in it doesn’t seem that far fetched."

I thought so too. But I th..."

I agree the Long walk is more a precursor to the hunger games even the ending is the same, only one can win and everything you want is yours.

This is a first read for me although I think I saw the movie years ago. Couldn’t put the book down even though I winced through some of it.

Hi,

I have completed my read this month of Stephen King's "The Running Man" and have posted my review at the following Goodread's link for those who are interested in reading it:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I look forward to some good honest and respectful discussions this month. By the way - what an ending!

Thanks, Scott.

Patricia wrote: "This is a first read for me although I think I saw the movie years ago. Couldn’t put the book down even though I winced through some of it."

No real connection from the book to the movie LOL.

Scott wrote: "Hi,

I have completed my read this month of Stephen King's "The Running Man" and have posted my review at the following Goodread's link for those who are interested in reading it:

https://www.good..."

Great review, Scott. Lots of insights. BTW: Not sure Bachman is that much darker than King in some of his darker books. To me, his darkness is pretty well spread around. Running Man or even The Long Walk isn't any darker in my mind than Pet Semetary or Cujo or Salam's Lot.

Point taken, Nick. Cujo and Salem's Lot are good examples.
However, it just seems to me that there is more of an increased sarcastic darkness in his Bachman books, which of course could be attributed to his young age at the time too, who knows... For example, (without giving it away to those who haven't read the books yet), think about the main characters of the Bachman books - "The Long Walk", "Roadwork", and "The Running Man" - and how each of them ended up... It's bleak and dark, man. It really is... Just my cents...

I agree that he’s dark no matter what, like duma key, which was written later on, or It.

Scott wrote: "Point taken, Nick. Cujo and Salem's Lot are good examples.
However, it just seems to me that there is more of an increased sarcastic darkness in his Bachman books, which of course could be attribu..."

Right

I read this one not long ago. I really enjoyed it. With our reality tv now, it doesn't seem so far fetched that this could happen one day.

Tracy wrote: "I read this one not long ago. I really enjoyed it. With our reality tv now, it doesn't seem so far fetched that this could happen one day."

You are right, both the Running man and the Long walk , could easily be a reality tv show.

mrbooks wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I read this one not long ago. I really enjoyed it. With our reality tv now, it doesn't seem so far fetched that this could happen one day."

You are right, both the Running man and th..."

As long as we're ready for a little state-sanctioned homicide.

It not so far fetched, if WWII went the other way where would we be now?

mrbooks wrote: "It not so far fetched, if WWII went the other way where would we be now?"

Standby.

Nick wrote: "mrbooks wrote: "It not so far fetched, if WWII went the other way where would we be now?"

Standby."


^^^Omg, that's terrifying.

Ditto, Nick.

The Bachman stories are a mixed bag. Roadwork and The Regulators are virtually unreadable. The Running Man has a pulpy sensibility and Rage is good too. I know that's been officially deleted but it's available online.

Rjs wrote: "The Bachman stories are a mixed bag. Roadwork and The Regulators are virtually unreadable. The Running Man has a pulpy sensibility and Rage is good too. I know that's been officially deleted but it..."

I love Regulators! I'm probably biased because I have a child in my life much like the nephew in the story, but still. I think it's very good, cleverly written and the visuals my mind creates as I read are fantastic!

The Long Walk is not only my favorite Bachman book, but among my top five Stephen King books period.

The Long Walk is a masterpiece. The fact that it's tucked away in the Bachman Books and serious readers still find it and recognize its quality amazes me. I thought I was the only one.

Fascinating is the only word that comes to mind for Stephen King. I also enjoyed the regulators and found the narrative very readable while someone feels the opposite. Like positive & negative; one could spend a lifetime studying each ones differences.... Bottom line is that each of us are so different why even make negative comments about SK’s writing at all; why bother....

Kenneth wrote: "Fascinating is the only word that comes to mind for Stephen King. I also enjoyed the regulators and found the narrative very readable while someone feels the opposite. Like positive & negative; one..."

I’ve loved The Regulators since it came out. It’s a very under appreciated novel. I think it’s fair, though, when someone doesn’t like a SK book that they’ll make their opinion known. It’s what makes this type of group interesting. If none of us had criticisms, the discussion would be stopped dead. Just wait till we read The Tommyknockers, I won’t be holding back in my critique.

Matt I agree with criticism but to say that IT’s unreasonable is simply unfair. Facts rather than knocks would be the better approach, wouldn't you agree?

Tracy wrote: "I read this one not long ago. I really enjoyed it. With our reality tv now, it doesn't seem so far fetched that this could happen one day."

And I think in a lot of ways, the novel speaks to the problem with power and income imbalances. A lot of the modern activist movements stem from that imbalance so I don't think it's a far reach to say those things are happening today. We're not quite killing people for entertainment yet, but we're certainly turning a blind eye to all the terrible treatment employees tolerate just to keep a job. Heck, any conversation about minimum wage reduces people to objects PDQ.

To me, there's always been something broken about putting people in charge of both money and other people simultaneously, and this book illustrates why that can be such a terrible idea.

I'm so late to this, I know, but I'm going to start tomorrow on the morning commute. Having just read some SK (and Bachman) in recent weeks and months, I was going to have a mini break but you got me - I'm down for The Gunslinger next month as well.

My personal history with The Running Man is that I saw the film when I was wee, and yeah okay, I've learned that it might well be a pretty liberal interpretation of the book but I still wanted time (it's been decades now!) to forget it as much as possible.

SK banged out a draft of this in a week, didn't he? Or was that just a myth?

I will post thoughts and reply to previous comments as I get through the book.

I’m at over 50% finished. I forgot what a great dystopian world he created with this book and how dark it is.

What an amazing book! i decided to watch the movie after and the reviews on here were right. The movie was nothing AT ALL like the book. I did not like the movie at all.

Stephanie wrote: "What an amazing book! i decided to watch the movie after and the reviews on here were right. The movie was nothing AT ALL like the book. I did not like the movie at all."

As an Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle I thought it was okay, but nowhere near Terminator, Predator or Commando. Other than the vague concept and some names, it’s not an adaptation at all. The book itself is probably my least favourite of the Bachmans, but still a fun ride.

...Minus 082 and COUNTING...

This is really good. Sometimes I expect an SK book to be an utter clanger but that has yet to be the case. The language, imagery and world building in The Running Man so far has been great.

Nick wrote: "Scott wrote: "Hi,

I have completed my read this month of Stephen King's "The Running Man" and have posted my review at the following Goodread's link for those who are interested in reading it:

ht..."

I decided to read a different edition then the one I own (the one bundled in The Bachman Books). It has a forward by King in it and he says his intention of using the pseudonym Richard Bachman was long term and the works were to be darker. The good guy wasn’t supposed to win (although in Rage I don’t know if I would call the protagonist a good guy in the normal sense).

This book has a lot going on in it. It really is a scary dystopian society if you think about it. There is the seperation of (view spoiler)[the classes with no way to move up. Whatever side you are born into is the one you stay in.

The poor are forever going to be oppressed.

The poor and the middle upper classes are all being lied to. The haves are told the have nots are all lazy. In reality they don’t have enough jobs and the jobs they have are all geared toward making things for the haves. Even in the game, the poor contestants are made to look lazy, ignorant, and like animals. Something to be feared. The poor are given false hope in these reality free vee games. When none of them ever have a chance to win any money at. I wouldn’t be surprised if the families never receive any of the money promised.

I don’t think it is a coincidence that he lead shields at the factory are leaky. It is probably a deliberate attempt to control the numbers or reduce the population of the poor people. (hide spoiler)]

I was really rooting for him to win (view spoiler)[but also hoping he could get the message out about the pollution etc and how everyone is being controlled but the government (is the network and government one and the same?). The symbolism of him flying that plane into the network’s high rise was surreal. (hide spoiler)]

Just finished. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really thought this was one of SK's 'lesser' works but it is anything but. Completely agree with what Nancy has posted directly above.

Thanks to this group for giving me the impetus to pick it up and read it. It was a great ride and one that will stay with me.

I loved it.

I listened to this audio book a few years back. Back then I was on a sick leave after having laser eye surgery so I had my eyes closed almost the entire time. This, plus the great narration, added even more to the darkness of this great dystopian story. I finished the book within two or three days, I think. I also finished "Full dark" during that week.

It's so funny that a great SK book makes me have such nice memories of an otherwise pretty stressful period.

Now I wish I would have thought about audio books back when I had my eye surgery.. and yes good o’l SK does have a way with stories....

Shira wrote: "I loved it.

I listened to this audio book a few years back. Back then I was on a sick leave after having laser eye surgery so I had my eyes closed almost the entire time. This, plus the great nar..."

It's so funny that a great SK book makes me have such nice memories of an otherwise pretty stressful period.

Great Observation, Shira. I've had that experience a couple of times. I was lying in a hospital receiving transfusions for a bleeding ulcer and I happened to be reading Dracula at that time, about how transfusions made Lucy feel wonderful after Dracula sucked all the blood out of her the night before. It honestly minimized a lot of the fear I might have felt.

currently reading this now. apprx 100 pages left so i will most likely finish sometime today. its pretty good i like it.

i loved the movie as a kid of course. i feel like it should be something out of the ᴘhilipᴋᴅick Universe not the imagination of Stephen King but i think thats pretty awesome because they are 2 of my favorite writers.

in comparison with Prize of Peril , by Robert Sheckley ɪᴍʜᴏ~ there are some small similarities but they are both completely different stories//ideas entirely. i would elaborate but i dont think this is the exact spot to do it.

ＭＴＢＤ wrote: "i feel like it should be something out of the ᴘhilipᴋᴅick Universe not the imagination of Stephen King ..."

I was also getting Philip K Dick vibes from The Running Man. I really appreciated that SK could craft something so sci-fi. There is A LOT going on in The Running Man, the dystopian world feels lived in, grimy, and believable.

We're getting closer to a real-life Running Man. Last night, I saw a preview for Million Dollar Mile. Set in Los Angeles, contestants win if they can elude the Defenders (elite athletes) pursuing them.

Michael wrote: "We're getting closer to a real-life Running Man. Last night, I saw a preview for Million Dollar Mile. Set in Los Angeles, contestants win if they can elude the Defenders (elite athletes) pursuing t..."

Interesting. Which season, I wonder, will they start killing the contestants off?

Nancy wrote: "Michael wrote: "We're getting closer to a real-life Running Man. Last night, I saw a preview for Million Dollar Mile. Set in Los Angeles, contestants win if they can elude the Defenders (elite athl..."

Good one, Nancy. I could make a prediction, but I won't. I've sworn off political commentary for the rest of my life.

I’m reading this one now. 1/3 of the through and I’m all in. He’s on his way to Boston and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

The other day, I stumbled across THE IMMORTAL, a TV show from 1970 featuring a man on the run. A man named Ben Richards.

Michael wrote: "The other day, I stumbled across THE IMMORTAL, a TV show from 1970 featuring a man on the run. A man named Ben Richards."

Seriously? I need to look that up.

I just started The Running Man last night and it's pretty wild revisiting this book in 2020. I had the same feeling while i was reading The Long Walk.
It's so strange looking back to when I originally read these books before reality TV was a thing. Who, but Stephen King could imagine how game shows would evolve? Doesn't seem so far fetched now as our reality seems stranger than fiction these days.

Elle wrote: "I just started The Running Man last night and it's pretty wild revisiting this book in 2020. I had the same feeling while i was reading The Long Walk.
It's so strange looking back to when I origin..."

And yet, when we first read these it was such an out there thought!