The Running Man

Author: Richard Bachman/stephen King

Believe it or not, Stephen King didn't only write hokey horror novels that weren't particularly scary, with completely convoluted "why the fuck did the clown turn into an alien-spider" plots. He also wrote one of the most important and seminal dystopian science fiction novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. The Running Man was written in 1985, but makes King look like a clairvoyant when you think about contemporary society. The novel is set in dystopian United States in 2025, the economy is in ruins, and violence is on the rise (sound anything like the current United States? I know I'm scared). Ben Richards is unemployed, and his wife forced into prostitution to keep the family surviving. Ben participates in a game show called the Running Man. Contestants are declared enemies of the state, and to win 100 billion "New Dollars" they must survive being chased by Hunters trying to kill them for 30 days. Ben Richards turns out to do the best job of running from the Hunters in the history of the show. Common to almost all dystopian science fiction, themes of a corrupt government are heavy, with Ben's messages to the public altered by the government in power. The book is set out in a countdown format, starting with the first chapter "Minus 100 and Counting" with the numbers decreasing until the last chapter "Minus 000 and counting." This format and pacing makes you feel like you're running a marathon right along with Ben. The Running Man is the novel that everyone should be reading in place of the Hunger Games. If you ever feel the compulsion to read that trilogy, please get a Bachman fix instead - dirtier, grimier, and scarier in a realistic way. Warning: do not read the introduction by King that comes with some versions of this book, it gives away the ending! Why, oh WHY do authors insist on doing this?