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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Worldbuilding sucks ass, protagonist is unbearable, plot points despite some suspenseful scenes are at times nonsensical and prose feels like a rough first draft even if you quote the same passage from Shakespeare twice. I liked the ending.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fun and fast paced! The ending felt a bit rushed, but the first half was great.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I want to first accepted that this book is flawed. It is a dark, pessimistic, bleak look at the near future and it's reflected in the portrayal of women and minorities, especially black people, in this world. Some of the dialogue in this is embarrassingly bad, and is written in a kind of "future slang" that is essentially jive. It's not a good look for King in 2025.
That being said, I think this is an extremely strong work of science fiction that is very poignant still. It's themes of class disparity and environmental racism are presented in an interesting way, and the world building feels realistic and expansive. While this does still have the stinging misanthropy of a Bachman book, it delivers a deeply satisfying feeling whenever you see the protagonist survive for another hour and slowly come to a sense of solidarity between his "own people" as the game commissioner suggests.
Mr. beast would totally make the Running Man.
That being said, I think this is an extremely strong work of science fiction that is very poignant still. It's themes of class disparity and environmental racism are presented in an interesting way, and the world building feels realistic and expansive. While this does still have the stinging misanthropy of a Bachman book, it delivers a deeply satisfying feeling whenever you see the protagonist survive for another hour and slowly come to a sense of solidarity between his "own people" as the game commissioner suggests.
Mr. beast would totally make the Running Man.
The Running Man by Stephen King is a suspenseful dystopian about a deadly game show where participants run (and hide) for their lives in exchange for money. Ben Richards is a man pushed to the edge by harsh circumstances. His daughter is sick and to heal her, he needs money. That's how we find Ben Richards leaving his loving home to play a high-stakes, never-won game where he is hunted by trained killers and his own people.
I found Ben Richards to be a very compelling protagonist. He is cynical but pragmatic, morally ambiguous, frustrated, and desperate. He has no idealistic fantasies or delusions when it comes to playing the game. He has no illusions of grandeur, saving the world, or even being "a good guy". His aim is simple- survive, provide for his family, and win the game.
This was my first exploration into Stephen King's alter ego, Richard Bachman. I've read around 10 of Stephen King's works and really liked them. Where King often leans into supernatural and psychological horror, Bachman's stories are grittier, focused on human survival and societal breakdowns. The Running Man has no monsters, no ghosts, just a terrifying plausible future where humans are exploited and slaughtered for entertainment.
During the late 1970s, Stephen King was typecast as a horror writer. Bachman was King's way of exploring different approaches to storytelling without the pressure that comes with the weight of having "Stephen King" on the book cover. Although Stephen King and Richard Bachman's publications are known for their dark subject matters, Backman's tones are more realistic and brutal. In a lot of his novels, the protagonists are trapped in oppressive systems and have little room for idealism. The endings are bleaker, with less hope for personal redemption. Unlike King's characters who feel more multifaceted with detailed backstories, motivations, and opportunities for growth, Backman's characters feel more underdeveloped to me. I'd classify them as "the common man" or "underdogs". An everyday person you could be standing next to in an elevator. They are more defined by their reactions to the hard world around them than an elaborate personal history. I felt like Backman's style of storytelling worked well for this book, but I missed the classic Stephen King style of making me so emotionally entangled with his characters. Throughout the entirety of my reading experience, I felt that missing piece. I think this is a worthwhile read if you like the genre. 4 stars!
I found Ben Richards to be a very compelling protagonist. He is cynical but pragmatic, morally ambiguous, frustrated, and desperate. He has no idealistic fantasies or delusions when it comes to playing the game. He has no illusions of grandeur, saving the world, or even being "a good guy". His aim is simple- survive, provide for his family, and win the game.
This was my first exploration into Stephen King's alter ego, Richard Bachman. I've read around 10 of Stephen King's works and really liked them. Where King often leans into supernatural and psychological horror, Bachman's stories are grittier, focused on human survival and societal breakdowns. The Running Man has no monsters, no ghosts, just a terrifying plausible future where humans are exploited and slaughtered for entertainment.
During the late 1970s, Stephen King was typecast as a horror writer. Bachman was King's way of exploring different approaches to storytelling without the pressure that comes with the weight of having "Stephen King" on the book cover. Although Stephen King and Richard Bachman's publications are known for their dark subject matters, Backman's tones are more realistic and brutal. In a lot of his novels, the protagonists are trapped in oppressive systems and have little room for idealism. The endings are bleaker, with less hope for personal redemption. Unlike King's characters who feel more multifaceted with detailed backstories, motivations, and opportunities for growth, Backman's characters feel more underdeveloped to me. I'd classify them as "the common man" or "underdogs". An everyday person you could be standing next to in an elevator. They are more defined by their reactions to the hard world around them than an elaborate personal history. I felt like Backman's style of storytelling worked well for this book, but I missed the classic Stephen King style of making me so emotionally entangled with his characters. Throughout the entirety of my reading experience, I felt that missing piece. I think this is a worthwhile read if you like the genre. 4 stars!