Review - The Running Man by Stephen King

I love Stephen King. The man is a master storyteller. You can always count on him to scare the bejeezus out of you in one instance and then make you think, "what in the world did I just read?" in another.

Having said that, I have a sticker on one of my coolers that says, "Don't judge a book by its movie."

I couldn't agree more with that statement. With movies or TV shows (generally speaking), there are limitations to what can be shown on a screen when compared to what can be described with words.

I will have to say though, for me, the movie adaption of The Running Man was better than the book.

I'm not here to review the movie though. If you haven't seen it, go check it out. You'll get to see Arnold Schwarzenegger in a spandex track suit.

King's book was really good, as most of his books are. Maybe the fault lies with me and the expectation I had for the book because I was using the movie as my frame of reference.

The Running Man takes place in a future America that is being ruled by powerful corporations (sounds familiar). The wealthy keep the less fortunate pressed under their thumbs.

The media conglomeration that rules the airwaves gives those down trodden citizens opportunities to earn money by playing games, extremely dangerous games, to entertain the elite.

The Runnjng Man is the most popular and most lucrative games, but it's also the most dangerous.

Ben Richards (played by Arnold in the movie) is a desperate man trying to help his family. With The Running Man, King takes the reader on a ride as Richards fights the establishment, while also fighting for his life.

The Running Man is not the type of novel I typically think about when I think about Stephen King. It's not The Shining or Pet Cemetary or It. There isn't the creepy, supernatural element that I think most people associate with King. Maybe that was another reason I was a little disappointed in the story (although I should have remembered this from the movie).

All in all The Running Man is a solid book. It's not the best I've read, but it's not the worst either. If you're a Stephen King fan and haven't read this book, then you need to add it to your collection. If you're not a King fan, there are other books out there that I would say are better options.