Stephen King

Richard Bachman

The name on the covers was Bachman. But the imagination could only belong to one man. A compelling collection of three spellbinding stories of future shock and suspense - THE LONG WALK, ROADWORK and THE RUNNING MAN - in which Stephen King also explains 'Why I was Richard Bachman'.

The Bachman Books

Wynter

What a mixed bag. I loved The Long Walk with its imaginative plot and great character study. Who would have thought that a book about walking can be so intense and gruesome? Hunger Games has nothing on this bad boy. Roadwork, on the other hand, kind of bored me. I could see what it was trying to do - mainly a slow unraveling of the main character into madness, - but I just couldn't focus on the story. What is the motivation? Why the stubbornness? I understand that the house represented more than just a material possession to this guy, but I could not sympathize with him or get behind his point of view. Running Man sort of returned to the glorious exploration of survival that I liked in the Long Walk, but again failed to completely engage me. The characters weren't as fleshed out, and the ending was sort of meh. 

To those unfamiliar with Richard Bachman's writing I can say that in my opinion Stephen King created this pseudonym as a no-pressure foray into psychological thrillers, rather than his usual horror genre. I'm kind of on the fence about these attempts, but will certainly recommend The Long Walk to anyone interested checking out that side of King.

four early novels

The Bachman books

A. D. Knapp

Amna A.

The name on the cover was "Richard Bachman," but the imagination inside could only belong to one man--Stephen King. for years readers of these four novels wrote to "Bachman," asking if the author was really Stephen King writing under a pseudonym. At last the secret is out--and so are these four spellbinding tales of future shock and suspense, now available in one volume.

Here is rage, a story of stunning psychological horror about an "extra" ordinary high school student...a chilling glimpse into a future America where a macabre marathon, The Long Walk, is a contest with death...Roadwork, an eerie variation on the theme of "Home Sweet Home"...and a nightmare vision of a ghoulish game show. The Running Man, where you bet your life--literally.

The first two of these superlatively shocking novels were completed before Carrie was even begun. the others were written in between some of Stephen King's most popular bestsellers to date. And each of them is marked by the undeniable fascination of one of the most brilliant imaginations of our time.
--jacket

The Bachman Books

Reviews