Author: Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
The Running Man is basically the story of a man desperate to bring in some serious money for his family. His daughter is sick, and they live in squalor. The working class is kept poor and downtrodden in one area of the city....while others live in relative comfort. But, in return for competing in dangerous games that will be televised, they can bring in some cash. Unfortunately, many of the contestants die. Ben Richards decides the best way to help his wife and sick daughter is to go through the screening process and join a game. He competes as The Running Man, chased across the country by law enforcement, mercenaries and the general public. He is required to send in daily videos and will be paid for each day he survives. A lot of money is promised if he can last 30 days. But.....nobody has ever lasted that long. The record is 8 days and 5 hours. Killer Capitalism.
This book came out in the 80s, but it's set in 2024. I couldn't help but notice the uncanny resemblance to modern reality television. People aren't paid to run from law enforcement with extra money paid for each person they kill while running.....but there have been people injured and killed during publicity stunts for views on YouTube and while filming shows or stunts for reality television. One game in the book has infirm, ill or crippled people competing for money by running on a treadmill. They are asked trivia questions...if they answer wrong, it costs them money and the treadmill speed is increased. They are paid by the minute, with the game often killing contestants. Nobody died....but lots of people tuned in to Biggest Loser for years, watching overweight, ill people endure exercise and starvation to lose weight. Contestants later talked about peeing blood from dehydration, collapsing after hours of forced exercise and being ill afterwards all in an effort to win the $250,000 prize.....pretty close to Treadmills To Bucks. It's not that far a jump to think the trend could jump up a few notches to more dangerous games.....all for money and a magical chance for a better life.
I had forgotten a lot of this story over the years. I was still basically a kid when I read it. I read it Before. Before marriage, before kids, before a lot of things. Re-reading it at 50 years old brought a new perspective. Great action story....but also a cautionary tale. We can't allow ourselves to become so engrossed in cheap, violent entertainment that we lose sight of other more important issues -- unsafe work environments, unfair treatment of the working class, and growing belief that some lives are worth more than others. Killer capitalism isn't that big a jump from where we are today.
I enjoyed re-visiting this book! It's a great action story with a bit of moralizing added in the mix. I'm going to re-read more of the Bachman books this year. They are shorter than the novels the author published as Stephen King, and have a different vibe to them. Less horror....more darkness.
Now that I have read the book and have the story fresh in my mind, I'm going to watch the 80's movie. I wonder how badly they butchered the story? My husband says the movie has very little resemblance to the book. Not surprised.
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