If you haven’t read The Running Man, Stephen King’s 1982 novel about a man’s experience on a life-or-death reality show (with King writing under the pen name ‘Richard Bachman’), add it to your list — a film adaptation starring Top Gun and Hit Man star Glenn Powell has arrived, and it looks like a blast. And hey, whether you’ve seen it yet or not, why not kill some time by reading books like The Running Man (with similar themes, characters, and storylines) to get yourself even more hyped?
King’s original story tracks down-on-his-luck Ben Richards through a dystopian future (2025, btw 🫠), where he’s suffering from a tsunami of misfortune: he’s out of work, his baby daughter is sick, and he and his wife can’t afford to pay their medical bills. With little options available, he turns to the Network’s Games, reality shows where you put your life on the line for a shot at taking home wads of cash. He ends up being cast in a The Most Dangerous Game-esque series, where he is quite literally hunted by the masses. (It gives a whole new meaning to ‘get rich or die trying,’ no?)
From the gripping source material that inspired another King film adaptation, to sci-fi thrillers and pulse-pounding YA bestsellers, check out my suggestions for what book to pick up if you’re craving a Running Man-type reading experience.
