The Running Man

The Running Man is a dystopian novel by Stephen King (1982), written under the pen name of Richard Bachman. It tells the story of Ben Richards, a man in a nightmarish future who goes to extreme lengths to provide for his wife and sick infant. The Running Man is one of King’s more prescient works. Its framework of a lethal game show has much that will be familiar to modern-day viewers of reality TV, although without such grave consequences. It allows King ample room to examine themes such as Media Manipulation and Social Control, An Appetite for Violence, and The Class Divide.

Content Warning: This guide describes violence that takes place in the novel, including child death.

Plot Summary

When the story begins, Ben Richards, a resident of Co-Op City, has reached his limit. His wife, Sheila, has to resort to sex work to pay for black-market medicine for their 18-month-old daughter, Catherine, who is terribly sick. Ben no longer has a job because his work with a chemical company threatened to leave him sterile. After years of hustling and day jobs, he is desperate enough to apply to be a member of the Games, where contestants risk their lives on reality TV.