The Running Man

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The Running Man

By: Stephen King, Richard Bachman

Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly

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About this listen

It's not just a game when you're running for your life.

Every night they tuned in to the nation's favourite prime-time TV game show. They all watched, from the sprawling slums to the security-obsessed enclaves of the rich. They all watched the ultimate live death game as the contestants tried to beat not the clock but annihilation at the hands of the Hunters.

Survive 30 days, and win the billion-dollar jackpot - that was the promise. But the odds were brutal and the game rigged. Best score so far was eight days. And now there was a new contestant, the latest running man, staking his life while a nation watched.

Suspense

Thriller & Suspense

Scary

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Most relevant

Two quick things before I jump in. First - AUDIBLE HAVE RESOLVED THE ISSUE WITH THE SPOILER. King's chapter, where he discusses the 'twist', has been moved to the end. So please, don't worry about that. Second... for anyone familiar with the movie, it was an extremely loose adaption, with very little to do with this novel. Now that's out of the way...

First, the concept behind this novel is one of the best King ever came up with. The idea of a man 'running' across the entire US, in a slightly dystopian but recognizable near-future, chased by groups of 'hunters', is top notch. However, you won't be surprised to hear that King does not *quite* live up to the promise of that pitch. That framing idea, like a zombie apocalypse, feels like an opportunity to come up with a thousand theories about how you'd go about surviving (in this case, by making it to 30 days). However, King does not take many of those opportunities. Instead of thinking carefully about his plan in the few days he has before going on the run, the main character Ben Richards downs a few bottles of whiskey and eats burgers... which was not a wise use of time. The most obvious plan (head straight for the wilderness) would admittedly make for a boring book; but also, there's a mechanic where Richards has to mail in videos of himself every day, which would make that difficult (this is a very 1970s version of the future, without cellphones or CCTV). That does not, however, preclude hiding in derelict towns outside of cities (of which we're told there are many). Disguises are briefly touched on, but not nearly enough - literally the first thing I'd do in this situation is completely shave my head. I'd get a stray dog, and I'd walk it everywhere whenever I dropped off a video. I'd 'act old'. I'd get a tattoo. Etc. Basically, the first rule of going on the run is don't run - WALK. Blend in. Hide in plain sight. Richards does very little of that here. Additionally, many of his later decisions are just... questionable. They rarely make logical sense as the best course of action at that point. Now, it's a stressful situation, fair enough. But in a few spots, it does stretch credulity a bit. It feels like King is simply making it up as he goes along... which, if you are a constant reader like me, you know is pretty much always the case. But in reality, you can't sell me on the idea that a bright person wouldn't spend their time coming up with sensible plan As, Bs, and Cs. As for the final 'twist'... well, I saw that coming literally five miles off, and so should you. It's screamed at you during the final third of the book. But Ben Richard's actions during the ending... again, they did not make total sense, and also made it hard to root for him. Without giving anything away, there were many, many other routes he could have taken,

On thing that's worth pointing out is that, like many of King's novels of this time, there are a few moments that might be... 'problematic' for modern listeners. Moments would never, ever, EVER get published today (even in King's own works). I'm far too old to be bothered about them, but if you are, well, considered yourself warned.

For the narration, Kevin Kenerly gives an absolutely stellar performance throughout. Literally top notch, and six stars out of five.

Overall, this is far from the worst of King's output, but it's also a long way from the best - and a textbook example of a missed opportunity, despite an absolutely stellar premise. It's good - but not REAL good. If I could give it 3.5 stars overall I would - but I can't in all good conscience give it 4.

- A constant reader

Textbook example of a missed opportunity