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emilysometimesreads 's review for:
The Running Man
by Stephen King
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!