The Running Man

by Stephen King

412 pages

Because the movie was coming out, I wanted to read the book before it started showing at my local theater. Luckily, I live in a tiny town, and at the time of this writing, they still hadn't shown this particular movie.

The Running Man is the story of Ben Richards, an every day man, no more down on his luck than really anyone else in this dystopian version of 2025. No joke, this book is set in 2025. Glen's daughter has the flu, and doctors are expensive. So, Glen volunteers for the most dangerous game show on the airwaves. The Running Man. The longer he survives, the more money he gets, and if he makes it 30 days, he gets a cool million bucks. What follows is a hunt, a chase, betrayal, new friends, lost friends, and eventually, revenge.

Having been written in 1973, then not published till 1982, I can honestly say, there is some dialogue that definitely pulls me right out of 2025. The writing is a product of it's time, and it's author, and as long as one does not compare it to either of the movies, you should be able to suspend your disbelief long enough to read this story for exactly what it is. A glimpse at what the future may have looked like to someone sitting behind a desk during a snow-storm in 1973. Hell, Back to the Future said we were supposed to have flying cars, and we don't have those either...

The ending, while amazing, and I felt, very fitting for the wrap-up of this story definitely would not have been acceptable if it had been written today either. I won't give you details, cause I try to avoid spoilers, but let's just say, it may be triggering for some.

As a rabid Stephen King fan, I would recommend this story to readers at large. I'd even recommend it to my Mom, as no animals were harmed during the story. That being said, it does give a rather gloomy outlook on the future. But, if you directly compare it to what 2025 is actually like... maybe we don't have it so bad??