The Running Man
by Stephen King
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Book Summary Information
Author: Stephen KingEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-11-03
ISBN: 0451230620
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Signet
Book Reviews of The Running Man
Book Review: "The Running Man" V. "1984"
Summary: 5 Stars
As I was reading "The Running Man," I was simultaneously reading George Orwell's classic "1984." I couldn't help but to think that perhaps King drew inspiration from Orwell in writing this particular book. For example:
Games Building = The Ministries
Free Vees = BB Surveillance Tele Screens
The Games = Room 101 (in that you're facing fear/death by participating in The Games)
The Games Staff = The Thought Police
New Dollars/Oldbucks = Newspeak lifestyle
Also: Similar poor living conditions, rations, citizens wary of one another etc.
Just my observation, a thought.
Summary of The Running Man
Every night the whole nation watches the ultimate live game show on TV, as the contestants try to beat annihilation at the hands of the hunters in order to win the billion dollar jackpot. And now there is a new contestant, the latest "Running Man", staking his life while a nation watches.Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) crafted The Running Man early in his career, though after such mega-hits as Carrie and The Shining. A bit of a departure from the supernatural horror that is most frequently associated with his work, the novel describes a science fiction dystopia where market capitalism and television game shows have spiraled out of control, and the separation between the haves and the have-nots has been formalized with separate currencies. King establishes characters quickly, creating sympathy in the first few pages for Ben Richards--whose 18-month-old baby girl is suffering from a horrible cough, perhaps pneumonia. Not able to afford medicine, Richards enters himself in the last-chance money-making scheme of the Free-Vee games. The games include Treadmill to Bucks, in which heart-attack prone contestants struggle to outlast a progressively demanding treadmill, or the accurately named Swim the Crocodiles. After a rigorous battery of physical and mental examinations, Richards is assigned "Elevator Six"--the path of a chosen few--that leads to The Running Man game. In this game, the stakes and the prizes are raised. Success means a life of luxury. Failure means death. Unfortunately, few ever win the game; in fact, as the producer tells Richards, in six years no one has survived.
The Running Man is a short book, tightly written to be read and enjoyed quickly. The future world it depicts is vividly captured with a few essential details. The action is also fast paced and, though the novel differs from much of King's other work, the sardonic social commentary reveals a pleasing glimmer of King's characteristically twisted sense of humor. --Patrick O'Kelley
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