Book 19 - The Running Man

After reading "The Long Walk", it was recommended that I read some of the other Bachman books. I happened upon "The Running Man" at the library and decided to check it out. I have heard of the movie version but have never seen it, I am not a Schwarzenegger fan. From reading about the movie version, it seems quite different from the book, and I am glad that it was so.

The Running Man is the tale of Ben Richards, a man struggling to keep his family afloat in a dystopian world. Pollution, poverty and crime run rampant. Desperate people can approach the Games Network in the hopes of getting cast on one of their programs. These include "Treadmill to Bucks" in which heart and lung patients answer trivia questions while running on an escalating speed treadmill, "Swimming with Crocodiles" and of course the titular "Running Man".

Ben is cast on the "Running Man" due to his above average intelligence and anarchist attitude. This is the big money show, although no one has ever won this game. The contestant is given a head start, then must avoid hunters who will kill him on sight. He must mail in two video clips each day or he will be disqualified, although he will still be killed. They state that they will not track him by post marks on his tapes, but this is doubtfull. The longer he stays alive, the more money he makes, and if he eludes capture for 30 days he wins and is granted a billion "new dollars".

According to wikipedia, this book was written in just a week, which is very impressive. You can tell that it was written with passion. I very much enjoyed reading it and would recommend giving it a go.