The Running Man | Stephen King (1982) Review
It’s 2025 in America. The government is always watching and has full control over the populus. Television, or Free-Vee, is mandated for every household. There is no middle class, only the elitist rich and the poor. Distrusting and questioning authority will put you in jail. You have an incredibly sick child and can’t afford medical care… what’s your next move? If your answer was to join a game show to save your child, you might be Ben Richards… unless you place full confidence in your government. Welcome to The Running Man.
Written by Stephen King a mere 50 years ago, The Running Man doesn’t seem so dystopian anymore. In 1982, a majority of things were still analog. People wrote with typewriters or by hand (personal computers were beginning to gain popularity), books were physical and real, the 24-hour news cycle had only been around for about two years, and face to face interaction was much more meaningful. Futuristic movies like Tron, and Bladerunner had pinpointed ideas about life in the 21st century. Now, we have “smart” phones, watches, and glasses (have you seen John Carpenter’s They Live?), constant communication through social media, email is almost irrelevant in younger generations, streaming services are available at any time, and people don’t necessarily consume any literature or media that is thought-provoking. When was the last time you realized that not everything you see or hear is true?
I could go on a rant about all of the things I just mentioned in hopes that maybe one person could wake up from this technological nightmare we’ve all been sucked into; however, that is not my purpose. I found The Running Man to be eerily similar to current events and times. If it has not clicked yet, the Free-Vee is all around us (phones, television, social media). I think the easiest way for anyone to gain control of another person(s) is to put a screen in front of them with no limits to how much they watch, as long as it provides a biased perspective and a threat for them not to question what is really going on. This is what a life in The Running Man looks like. Freethinkers are to be feared, while full trust in the government and media is how people stay “safe.” Sound familiar?
Let’s dive into what Stephen King pictured 2025 to look like and follow Ben Richards on his journey to save his sick baby girl…
The Richards family is part of the lower class, in need of money for medical care for their child. Ben realizes his only option is to join one of many game shows to grow his finances. Because he shows no health concerns and is fit, the elites decide he will be the next Running Man. The whole concept of The Running Man show is one man running from government appointed contract killers, military, and the American citizens. If he is found, seen in public, caught in disguise, etc., he will either be phoned in, or video recorded and will be shot dead. If he survives 30 days, he’ll win one billion New dollars (better currency than old dollars). For those that sight him: a reward of $100 New dollars, for those who sight him and get him killed: a reward of $1000. Let the game begin.
As Ben gains several new personas and disguises, he makes some friends along the way. The first two being brothers Stacey and Bradley. The brothers hide and smuggle Ben across state lines where he meets Elton Parrakis. The three boys are what we call freethinkers, inventors, and entirely too smart for everyone else. Unfortunately, Elton’s mother, Virginia, is one of the sheep. After finding out the infamous Benajmin Richards is seeking haven in her house, she calls the officials, and he barely scrapes by. After that adventure, he runs into Amelia Williams. He decides to hold her hostage as he makes some final attempts to be free of those greedily wishing for his death. Ending up in Maine, Ben and Amelia gain access to an airplane… unfortunately, the number one contract killer in the country, Evan McCone joins them. Ben is offered a job to join the directors of the show, in which he naturally declines. I don’t wish to ruin the ending, so I’ll finish with this brief synopsis in saying there is a spectacular fight of the lower and upper classes on the plane.
Needless to say, this is my favorite Stephen King book so far. I am in a book club on Fable that is reading every King book in publication order, so there will absolutely be more Stephen King book reviews. If you like dystopian (or not so dystopian anymore) literature, please be sure to read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 by George Orwell, and Farenheit-451 by Ray Bradbury.