Book report
The Running Man - Stephen King
Summary
Co-Op City is a town in the futuristic America. Many people in America are very poor, and
there are a few who almost swim in the money. There’s barely work and many people die
from cancer or a simple flu, because there ain’t money for good medication.
Everyone has a Free-Vee, a futuristic idea of a TV. The Network broadcasts awful shows,
such as Treadmill to Bucks, where people who are chronic sick run in a treadmill and for
every minute they stay in they earn 10 New Dollars. It’s usual that someone gets a heart
attack, but at least they have money now. This show is just a cheap one, in the prime time
shows you just can’t make it out alive. The Running Man, for example.
Ben Richards is a man who lives in Co-Op City, together with his wife Sheila and their
daughter Cathy. Cathy is very sick, she’s got the flu. If she doesn’t get real medicine or a
real doctor, she’ll probably die. Richards decides to go to the Game Federation building, so
he hopefully gets selected for a show. Some doctors had to take a few tests, both physical
and mental. A lot of people were kicked out, but Richards passed the tests. He and two other
guys were selected for a prime time show, The Running Man.
The Running Man is a show in which you try to survive for thirty days, while the Hunters are
tracking and trying to kill you. Every hour you stay alive you’ll get 100 New Dollars. Everyday
you must record two videos which will be broadcasted in the show. People who recognize
you whilst running, can turn you in for an amount of money. The record stays on eight days,
which means that no one made it out alive so far.
With the director's words still buzzing in his head Richards goes to Molie for false papers.
“Stay close to your own people” the director had said. A few hours later Richard is headed to
New York, where he hires a room in a hotel. The next day Richard goes to Boston, where he
stays in a hotel again, for a day or two. When he looked out of the window, he saw a lot of
cops around the building. It made him nervous, and after a while he panicked and he just
knew it were the Hunters. So he hacked the elevator and went to the basement. He
accidentally lit up a fire that he couldn’t control. Unlucky as he was, there stood an oil tank
and the fire was spreading. The hotel was about to explode, and Richards was in a pipe
underground, which led to the street. He almost got fried while the whole building exploded,
but he made it out alive.
A kid named Stacey saw him and thought he was the devil, but when he came close enough
he saw it was Richards. Richards paid him to go get his big brother he talked about, Bradley.
Bradley and Stacey took him to their place, where Ma cooked dinner. Bradley decided to
help him, and tells him about the pollution there. Their little sister has lung cancer, because
of the air. Richards recorded a video in which he tells about the pollution there, but when he
saw his video back on the Free-Vee, the Network had changed it into cursing and other
‘good theater’. The next day Bradley helps him out of town, and Richards bought a car via
Bradley. He stays in a hotel pretending he’s a priest.
