The Running Man by Stephan King is one of the best Sci-Fi novels I have ever read. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole seven-hour read. This dystopian novel features many ways to keep you excited because it is packed with action throughout the whole story. It starts with a man, (Ben Richards) whose daughter is dying, so he has to compete in a Hunger Games-type reality show, where you are hunted down in the real world. For every hour you survive, you get 100 New Dollars, which is the currency in this futuristic world. If you survive the whole time, which is one month, he will get one billion new dollars which is more than enough money to get medical help for his daughter. It is so fun reading about Ben Richards's life as he continues his journey to save his daughter in a realistic, yet unsettling experience. I love how Stephen King was able to make the novel so realistic, while still having such an unrealistic storyline. I think that it is partly realistic because it is a reality show with hundreds of thousands of people watching Ben’s every move, sort of like how many people are glued to their TV in today's society. Later on in the story, Richards has to make life-or-death decisions on who to trust, what to do in a situation, and where to hide out for the night. If he can kill one of the hunters, It is a one-hundred-dollar bonus. One thing that I thought was funny, was how this novel takes place in 2025, which is just around the corner, but when it was made (1982), it seemed so far away that Richard’s situation could be very possible. When reading The Running Man, I would make sure to keep in mind that there is a lot of vulgar language, and some racist and sexist remarks, so if you are uncomfortable with that language, I would stay clear of this book, or at least remember that. There are also a lot of very depressing and terrifying moments in this novel, so make sure to turn the page with caution. Overall I think this book is a 5/5 because of how realistic and unsettling it is. I would recommend this book to people who are in high school and older because some of the material may not be appropriate for children under the age of 14 due to maturity levels.
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