NationMaster - Encyclopedia: The Running Man

The Running Man (1982) is a science fiction novel by Stephen King, written under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. In 1987, the novel was loosely adapted into a film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The story is about a man who competes in a deadly game show. Some critics draw parallels between The Running Man and current reality shows such as Survivor or Fear Factor. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... // Richard Bachman Richard Bachmans author photo. ... In political geography and international politics a country is a geographical entity, a territory, most commonly associated with the notions of state or nation. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Some notable science fiction novels, in alphabetical order by title: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke 334 by Thomas M. Disch An Age by Brian Aldiss The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton The Atrocity Exhibition by J.G. Ballard... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... A signet is a seal used to authenticate a document, typically by leaving an impression in sealing wax. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The barcode of an ISBN . ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author best known for his bestselling horror novels. ... // Richard Bachman Richard Bachmans author photo. ... // May 9 - Actor Tom Cruise marries actress Mimi Rogers. ... The Running Man is a film loosely based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, released in 1987, and was directed by Paul Michael Glaser, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): ) (born on July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor and an American politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California. ... ... For the current season, see Survivor: Fiji. ... The fear factor in occupational terminology refers to the increased per-worker productivity resulting from the threat of impending layoffs. ...

Novel

Context

The dystopian theme of the book resembles that of another of King's books written as Bachman, The Long Walk. Both books appear in King's novel collection The Bachman Books. A dystopia (or alternatively cacotopia) is a fictional society, usually portrayed as existing in a future time, when the conditions of life are extremely bad due to deprivation, oppression, or terror. ... The Long Walk is a novel by Stephen King published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. ... The Bachman Books is a collection of novels by Stephen King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. ...

The game show in the book bears a resemblance to a game show posited in the 1958 Robert Sheckley short story "The Prize of Peril" (that story was itself the basis for two movies, the 1970 German TV movie Das Millionenspiel and the 1983 French film Le Prix du Danger). It has been speculated that the short story was the inspiration for The Running Man, though King has not confirmed this. Robert Sheckley (July 16, 1928 â€“ December 9, 2005) was an American Jewish author. ... Le Prix du Danger is a 1983 French science fiction movie, directed by Yves Boisset. ...

Plot summary

The protagonist, Ben Richards, needs money for medicine for his gravely ill daughter Cathy. Not wanting his wife Sheila to continue prostitution to pay the bills, Richards turns to the Games Federation, which runs several violent TV game shows seen on the Network. Show contestants win money by surviving challenges such as Treadmill to Bucks, where a person with a heart condition runs on a treadmill. After rigorous testing, both physical and mental, Richards is selected for the most popular game, The Running Man. Whore redirects here. ... A woman on a treadmill. ...

Richards will be deemed an enemy of the state and then released with a twelve hour head start before an elite group of "Hunters" set out to kill him. The contestant and his family earn $100 per hour they remain alive, an additional $100 for each law enforcement officer or Hunter he kills, and a $1 Billion if he should survive for a month; the current record is 8 days. The Network pays civilians for confirmed sightings of the fugitive. Pollice Verso (With a Turned Thumb), an 1872 painting by Jean-LÃ©on GÃ©rÃ´me, is a well known history painters researched conception of a gladiatorial combat. ...

The "runner" can travel anywhere in the world, and each day he must videotape two messages and courier them to the TV show. Without a videotaped message, he defaults the prize money, but the hunters will continue their search. Despite the producer's claims to the contrary, as soon as the Network receives a videotaped message, the hunters immediately know from the postmark the runner's approximate location. When the runner is caught, he or she is killed live on TV. In finance, default occurs when a debtor has not met its legal obligations according to the debt contract, e. ... This article is about the postal marking. ...

Richards eludes the hunters for more than ten days, traveling through New York to Boston. In Boston, he is tracked down by the Hunters and only manages to escape by setting off an explosion that kills five police officers and crawling through a sewer pipe. Next he hides in the impoverished Boston ghetto, where he learns that the air has become polluted on a massive scale, and that the poor live in appalling conditions, with high rates of asthma, emphysema, lung cancer, bronchitis. A ghetto is an area where people from a specific racial or ethnic background live as a group in seclusion, voluntarily or involuntarily. ... The Lachine Canal, in Montreal, is badly polluted Pollution is the release of harmful environmental contaminants, or the substances so released. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (medium-size airways) in the lungs. ...

Richards' next destination is Manchester, where he disguises himself as an elderly, half-blind priest. Richards manages to evade detection from the Hunters by having his tapes sent through a remailing service. After terrifying nightmares, Richards goes to a safehouse in Portland. When police close in, Richards is wounded, and hides in a partially finished shopping center. . ... This page is about a type of dream. ... A safe house is a location placed in the neighbourhood where a trusted adult or family or charity organisation has agreed to provide a safe place for battered wives and abused children to go to, when they feel that their life is threatened by domestic abuse. ...

The next morning, Richards realizes that he only has time until noon to mail his tapes directly to the Network; there is not time to use the remailing service. Commandeering a car, Richards takes a hostage and makes his way to an airport. Richards holds a lengthy standoff at the airport, and manages to bluff his way onto a plane. Police often train to recover hostages taken by force, as in this exercise For the 2005 film, see Hostage (film). ... A standoff is used in mechanics and electronics to separate two parts from one another. ... Bluffing is a form of Deception that involves a false show of confidence. ...

Killian offers Richards a job as a Hunter for the Network. Unbeknownst to Richards, his wife and daughter were brutally murdered ten days earlier. Richards overpowers the flight crew and is seriously wounded, in the shoulder and gut. With his last strength, he overrides the plane's autopilot and sets the plane to fly right into the Games Building, home of the Network and "The Running Man." The last thing Killian sees is Richards in the cockpit "giving him the finger" as the plane slams into the building. An autopilot is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. ...

Trivia

The Condemned is a thriller film directed and written by Scott Wiper, and starring former WWE wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vinnie Jones. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Film

The Running Man is a film loosely based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, released in 1987, and was directed by Paul Michael Glaser, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards. ...

Editions

v • d • e

Stephen King's bibliography

Novels: A Prebound book is a book that was previously bound and has been rebound with a library quality hardcover binding. ... Categories: Stub | Books ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author best known for his bestselling horror novels. ...

Carrie (1974)

’Salem's Lot (1975; special edition, 2005)

Rage (as Richard Bachman) (1977)

The Shining (1977)

The Stand (1978; revised edition, 1990)

The Dead Zone (1979)

The Long Walk (as Richard Bachman) (1979)

Firestarter (1980)

Cujo (1981)

Roadwork (as Richard Bachman) (1981)

The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (1982; revised edition, 2003)

The Running Man (as Richard Bachman) (1982)

Christine (1983)

Pet Sematary (1983)

Cycle of the Werewolf (1983)

The Talisman (1984, written with Peter Straub)

Thinner (as Richard Bachman) (1984)

It (1986)

The Eyes of the Dragon (1987)

Misery (1987)

The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three (1987)

The Tommyknockers (1987)

The Dark Half (1989)

Needful Things (1990)

The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands (1991)

Gerald's Game (1992)

Dolores Claiborne (1993)

Insomnia (1994)

Rose Madder (1995)

The Green Mile (1996)

Desperation (1996)

The Regulators (as Richard Bachman) (1996)

The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass (1997)

Bag of Bones (1998)

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999)

Dreamcatcher (2001)

Black House (2001, written with Peter Straub)

From a Buick 8 (2002)

The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla (2003)

The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah (2004)

The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower (2004)

The Colorado Kid (2005)

Cell (2006)

Lisey's Story (2006)

Blaze (as Richard Bachman) (2007)

Duma Key (2008)

Non-fiction: Carrie (1974) is Stephen Kings first published novel. ... â€™Salemâ€™s Lot is a horror novel by Stephen King, written in 1975. ... For the film sequel to Carrie, see The Rage: Carrie 2 Rage (originally titled Getting It On) is the first novel by Stephen King published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. ... The Shining (1977) is a horror novel by American author Stephen King. ... The Stand is an apocalyptic horror epic novel by Stephen King originally published in 1978. ... The Dead Zone is a novel by Stephen King published in 1979. ... The Long Walk is a novel by Stephen King published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. ... FireStarter (Japanese ãƒ•ã‚¡ã‚¤ã‚¹ã‚¿ Fai Suta) is the second episode of the anime FLCL. Spoiler warning: Summary The Episode starts out with Mamimi playing some handheld videogame about burning stuff to please a dark god Cantide. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Roadwork is a novel by Stephen King, published in 1981 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. ... The Gunslinger is a novel by American author Stephen King, and is the first volume in the Dark Tower series, which King considers to be his magnum opus. ... Christine is a horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1983. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Cycle of the Werewolf is a horror novel released in 1983 by Stephen King, featuring illustrations by renowned comic book artist Bernie Wrightson. ... The Talisman is a 1984 fantasy novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub. ... Peter Straub at the University of South Florida on February 15, 2007 Peter Francis Straub, born March 2, 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a writer of fiction and poetry, best known as a prolific horror author. ... Thinner is a 1984 novel by Stephen King about an obese lawyer who experiences a dramatic and ultimately dangerous weight loss as a result of a Gypsys curse. ... It is a horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1986. ... The Eyes of the Dragon is a book by Stephen King published in 1987. ... Misery is a novel by Stephen King, written in 1987. ... The Drawing of the Three is the second book in the Dark Tower series written by Stephen King in 1970 and published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher in 1987. ... The Novel The Tommyknockers is a 1987 horror novel by Stephen King. ... --58. ... Needful Things is a horror/black comedy novel written by Stephen King in 1991. ... The Waste Lands is book III of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. ... Geralds Game (1992) is a novel by Stephen King. ... Dolores Claiborne (1993) is a novel by Stephen King, which was adapted into a 1995 film starring Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh. ... Insomnia is a novel written by Stephen King and first published in 1994. ... Rose Madder is a 1995 novel by Stephen King. ... This article is about the serial novel by Stephen King. ... Desperation. ... The Regulators is a novel by Stephen King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. ... Wizard and Glass is the fourth book in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. ... Bag of Bones is a 1998 novel by Stephen King. ... The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999) is a novel by Stephen King. ... Dreamcatcher (2001) is a novel written by Stephen King. ... For the novel by the same name, see Black house (novel). ... Peter Straub at the University of South Florida on February 15, 2007 Peter Francis Straub, born March 2, 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a writer of fiction and poetry, best known as a prolific horror author. ... From a Buick 8 is a novel by horror writer Stephen King (ISBN 0-7432-1137-5). ... Wolves of the Calla is the fifth book in Stephen Kings The Dark Tower series. ... Song of Susannah is the sixth and penultimate novel in Stephen Kings Dark Tower series. ... The Dark Tower is the seventh and final book of novelist Stephen Kings Dark Tower series, published September 21, 2004 (Kings birthday) by Donald M. Grant Publishers, and illustrated by Michael Whelan. ... The Colorado Kid is a mystery novel written by Stephen King for the Hard Case Crime imprint, published in 2005. ... Cell is an apocalyptic horror novel published by American author Stephen King in January 2006. ... Liseys Story. ... Blaze is a novel pen written by Stephen King under the name Richard Bachman. ... Duma Key is the name of a forthcoming novel by horror fiction writer Stephen King. ...

Danse Macabre (1981)

Nightmares in the Sky (1988)

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000)

Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing (2000)

Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season (2005, written with Stewart O'Nan)

Short fiction: Danse Macabre is a nonfiction book by Stephen King on horror fiction and United States pop culture. ... A Book with Text by King and Photos by F-Stop Fitzgerald, published in 1988 This was a coffee table photo book. ... On Writing. ... Ã if i was going to help you you would not need it because you so surepass my intellgents ... Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season (also known as Faithful) is a book co-written by Stephen King and Stewart ONan. ... Stewart ONan (born February 4, 1961) is an American author, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... This is a list of short fiction by Stephen King. ...

Night Shift (1978, collection)

Different Seasons (1982, collection)

Creepshow (1982, limited edition collection)

Skeleton Crew (1985, collection)

Dark Visions (with George R. R. Martin and Dan Simmons) (1988, collection)

"Dolan's Cadillac" (1989, chapbook)

"My Pretty Pony" (1989)

Four Past Midnight (1990, collection)

Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993, collection)

"Umney's Last Case" (1995, booklet)

Six Stories (1997, limited edition collection)

"The New Lieutenant's Rap" (1999, chapbook)

Hearts in Atlantis (1999, collection)

"Riding the Bullet" (2000, e-book)

Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales (2002, collection)

Audiobooks: Night Shift (1978 Doubleday) is the first anthology of short stories by Stephen King. ... Different Seasons (1982) is a novella collection by Stephen King containing the following stories: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (subtitled: Hope Springs Eternal) Apt Pupil (subtitled: Summer of Corruption) The Body (subtitled: Fall From Innocence) The Breathing Method (subtitled: A Winters Tale) Three movies, The Shawshank Redemption (based on... Stephen Kings Creepshow is a 1982 anthology horror movie directed by George A. Romero (of Night of the Living Dead & Dawn of the Dead fame), and written by Stephen King (The Shining, Misery, The Stand). ... Skeleton Crew (1985) is the second published anthology of short stories by Stephen King. ... Dark Visions is a compilation book, with 3 stories by Stephen King, 3 by Dan Simmons, and 1 by George R. R. Martin. ... George Raymond Richard Martin, sometimes called GRRM, born September 20, 1948 in Bayonne, New Jersey is an American author and screenwriter of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. ... Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948 in Peoria, Illinois) is an American author most widely known for his Hugo Award-winning science fiction novel Hyperion and its sequel The Fall of Hyperion. ... Dolanâ€™s Cadillac is a short story by Stephen King. ... Originally published in 1989, My Pretty Pony was an oversized, slipcased book commissioned for the Whitney Museum in New York as a coffee table book. ... Four Past Midnight is a collection of four novellas by Stephen King. ... Nightmares & Dreamscapes cover Nightmares & Dreamscapes is a short story collection by Stephen King published in 1993. ... Umneys Last Case (1995) is a short story written by Stephen King and published as a separate booklet as part of Penguins 60th anniversary. ... Six Stories (1997) is a short story collection by Stephen King containing the following stories: Lunch at The Gotham Cafe L.T.s Theory of Pets Luckey Quarter Autopsy Room Four Blind Willie (later published as part of Hearts in Atlantis) The Man In the Black Suit See also Short... The New Lieutenants Rap (1999) is a short story by Stephen King The story was originally published as a chapbook by Philtrum Press and given away to attendees at Stephen Kings 25th publishing anniversary party April 6, 1999. ... Hearts in Atlantis (1999), is a fictional work by Stephen King. ... Riding the Bullet (2000) is a novella by Stephen King. ... A user viewing an electronic page on an eBook reading device An e-book (also: eBook, ebook), sometimes called an electronic book, is an electronic (or digital) equivalent of a conventional printed book. ...

L.T.'s Theory of Pets

Blood and Smoke (2000)

Stationary Bike (2006)

Other: is a short horror story in Stephen Kings anthology Everythings Eventual. ... Blood and Smoke (1999) is an audio book where Stephen King reads three of his own short stories. ... An exercise bicycle is a stationary bicycle used for exercise and not for travel. ...

The Dark Tower series and comics

The Bachman Books (1985, novel collection)

Golden Years (1991, TV-miniseries)

Storm of the Century (1999, TV-miniseries)

The Plant (2000, unfinished e-book)

Kingdom Hospital (2004, TV-miniseries)