Against the wishes of his mother, sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty is about to compete in the annual grueling match of stamina and wits known as The Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour without ever stopping... with the winner being awarded "The Prize"—anything he wants for the rest of his life. But, as part of this national tournament that sweeps through a dystopian America year after year, there are some harsh rules that Garraty and ninety-nine others must adhere to in order to beat out the rest. There is no finish line—the winner is the last man standing. Contestants cannot receive any outside aid whatsoever. Slow down under the speed limit and you're given a warning. Three warnings and you're out of the game—permanently...
Richard Bachman Series
This series delves into the dark corners of the human psyche, exploring desperation, obsession, and the limits of endurance. The narratives often feature relentless scenarios where characters face brutal challenges and moral quandaries. Readers can expect intense and unsettling storytelling that questions the very nature of survival. The collection examines themes of alienation and the struggle against oppressive systems.
Recommended Reading Order
Roadwork
- 320 pages
- 12 hours of reading
When a highway project leaves him unemployed and threatens to destroy his home, one man takes on the forces of progress as he embarks on a vengeful showdown of epic proportions. Reissue.
The Running Man
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Every night the whole nation watched the ultimate live game show on TV, as the contestants tried to beat annihilation at the hands of the hunters in order to win the billion dollar jackpot. And now there was a new contestant, the latest Running Man, staking his life while a nation watched.
Thinner
- 318 pages
- 12 hours of reading
Billy Halleck's nightmare begins after he sideswipes an old Gypsy woman as she is crossing the street: he loses ninety-three pounds within six weeks.
On a perfect summer afternoon in Wentworth, Ohio, many of the citizens who live on Poplar street are killed mysteriously and, at the center of the mystery, is a young boy named Seth Garon whose supernatural powers are just awakening. Reissue.
Master storyteller Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) presents this gripping and remarkable New York Times bestselling crime novel about a damaged young man who embarks on an ill-advised kidnapping plot—a work as taut and riveting as anything he has ever written. Once upon a time, a fellow named Richard Bachman wrote Blaze on an Olivetti typewriter, then turned the machine over to Stephen King, who used it to write Carrie. Bachman died in 1985 (“cancer of the pseudonym”), but this last gripping Bachman novel resurfaced after being hidden away for decades—an unforgettable crime story tinged with sadness and suspense. Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., was always a small-time delinquent. None too bright either, thanks to the beatings he got as a kid. Then Blaze met George Rackley, a seasoned pro with a hundred cons and one big idea. The kidnapping should go off without a hitch, with George as the brains behind their dangerous scheme. But there's only one problem: by the time the deal goes down, Blaze's partner in crime is dead. Or is he?