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Description: Written by Richard
Bachman. The future is a very dark place, where people work in dangerous jobs for low wages, but employment
is still extremely hard to get. Ben Richards knows that the only way his wife and daughter can get out
of the low class lifestyle is for him to try to win money on one of the many gameshows on television.
These are no ordinary gameshows, because they make you suffer, or even die,
and Richards has been chosen for the top show of all - The Running Man. The rules are fairly straightforward.
$100 for every hour that you stay alive, and if you manage to stay alive for 30 days, you win One Billion
Dollars!
The game is not rigged, but no one has ever won it, and nor are they expected
to, as the people tracking the contestants are experts, and shoot to kill, and they actively get the
public to help turn in the contestants. Ben knows the risks, but plays the game. Caught in a trap, he
decides to make those people responsible for his pain, pay for their actions.
Published: Signet, 1982
Characters:
| ?, Dickie |
Dead person known by Stacey Throckmorton |
| ?, Frank |
A Police officer watching the contestants trying out for the Games |
| ?, Frankie |
A drunk in the Boston YMCA was looking for him. |
| ?, Gilley |
Old man that owned Gilley's Town Line and Airstop in Rockford. He took a photo of Ben Richards as
he was leaving. |
| ?, Jake |
One of the Games contestants that passed in the same group as Ben Richards |
| ?, Jennifer |
Lived down the hall from Ben Richards |
| Ali, Muhammad |
Mentioned in passing |
| Barrow, Clyde |
Mentioned in passing |
| Burns, Arthur M |
Assistant director of Games |
| Cowles, Bobby |
Turned in Jimmy Laughlin. Brother of Mary. Got $1000 and a lifetime supply of FunTwinks cereal. |
| Cowles, Mary |
Turned in Jimmy Laughlin. Sister of Bobby. Got $1000 and a lifetime supply of FunTwinks cereal. |
| Crager, Jack |
Neighbour of Richards |
| Curry, "Old Man" |
Sold drugs to Stacey Throckmorton for his sister Cassie. |
| Deegan, John |
Fake name used by Ben Richards in the Boston YMCA. Supposed to be from Michigan. |
| Donahue, Robert S |
Navigator on the plane that Ben Richards hijacked - Games Council controller. He stopped Evan McCore
from shooting Richards on the plane. |
| Donnigan, Flapper |
Friend of Ben Richards that saw the money being delivered to Sheila |
| Duninger, Wayne |
Co-pilot on the plane that Ben Richards hijacked. 40 Year old, redhead. |
| Friedman, Kippy |
Communications man on the plane that Ben Richards hijacked |
| Goleon, Rich |
Driver of the car that took Ben Richards from Boston. Friend of Bradley Throckmorton |
| Gordon, Sheila Catherine |
Maiden name of Sheila Richards. |
| Grady, Charlie |
Guard who loaned Richards 50 cents to call home while he was trying to enter the games. |
| Grassner, Father Ogden |
Fake name used by Ben Richards in Manchester. Organised by Bradley Throckmorton. A 1/2 blind priest. |
| Hanrahan, Gerry |
Friend of Ben Richards that saw the money being delivered to Sheila Richards. |
| Harris, Mr |
Worked with Ben Richards and spoke about gutshots. Fat and drunk beer on the job. |
| Himmler, Heinrich |
Mentioned in passing |
| Hizzoner, Governor |
Governor of Kanzas |
| Holloway, Don |
50 Year Old Pilot on the plane that Ben Richards hijacked |
| Hoover, J Edgar |
Mentioned in passing |
| Jagger, Mick |
A singer mentioned by Molie Jernigan. Ben thought he was from the Beatles. |
| Jansky, Mr |
Contestant on the Games who blinked a lot. He was accepted into the Games with Ben Richards. |
| Jenner, Eileen |
Sells black market goods. Bit of a snoop, and lives down the hall from Ben Richards. |
| Jernigan, Molie |
Sells weapons & fake ID. He sold one to Ben Richards that helped get him to Boston. |
| Johnsbury, Governor |
Area Governor |
| Johnson, Jack |
Mentioned in passing |
| Jones, Miss |
Secretary of Dan Killen that took Ben Richards to get his makeup done. |
| Kelly, Liz |
Ben Richards says that Liz Kelly and Grace Taylor are Old TV sex stars, but the names are wrong.
It should in fact be Grace Kelly and Liz Taylor. |
| Killan, Dan |
Interviewed Ben Richards and told him that he had the Running Man show. Executive Producer of the
show. |
| Laughlin, Jimmy |
Contestant in Running Man. He was captured in Topeka when found by Bobby and Mary Cowles. He had
broken his arm during the game. |
| McCartney, Mick |
Mentioned by Ben Richards. He got the name wrong, as he was talking about Mick Jagger |
| McCone, Evan |
Running man chief hunter. |
| Moran, Dink |
Built pollution counter. Brother of Rich, and friend of Bradley Throckmorton. |
| Moran, Rich |
Built pollution counter. Brother of Dink, and friend of Bradley Throckmorton. |
| O'Sanchez, Budgie |
Neighbour of Ben Richards, and father of Walt. |
| O'Sanchez, Walt |
Son of Budgie O'Sanchez. He went to get some shopping for Sheila Richards. |
| Parrakis, Elton |
A friend of Bradley Throckmorton that helped Ben. His mother Virginia called the police, and Elton
was injured in the getaway. Services Automatic vending Machines. |
| Parrakis, Virginia |
Mother of Elton. Turned Ben in to police. 65 Years old with severe arthritis. |
| Rettenmund, Mr |
Told dirty stories during the examinations for the Games when Ben Richards was trying out. Was dropped. |
| Richards, ? |
Mother of Ben and Todd. Died of Syphilis after trying to earn a living as a prostitute. Died when
Ben was 10 |
| Richards, ? |
Father of Ben and Todd. He left when Ben was 5. |
| Richards, Benjamin Stuart |
28 Year old contestant on Running man. Husband of Sheila. He joined the games to help get money for
his sick daughter, but after his wife and daughter were murdered, he decided to make those responsible
pay with their lives. Born 8th of August 1997. |
| Richards, Catherine Sarah |
Daughter of Sheila & Benjamin. Sick with the flu. 18 months old. |
| Richards, Sheila Catherine |
26 Year old wife of Benjamin. Her and her daughter Catherine were savagely murdered while Ben Richards
was on the run. |
| Richards, Todd |
Ben's brother. 3 years younger than Ben. Died at 12 when hit by a truck. |
| Rolf |
Dog that licked Ben Richards in Portland. His owner mailed 2 tapes for Ben. |
| Springer, John Griffen |
First fake ID used by Richards to buy a ride to Boston. A 43 year old Text-tape salesman. |
| Taylor, Grace |
Ben Richards says that Liz Kelly and Grace Taylor are Old TV sex stars, but the names are wrong.
It should in fact be Grace Kelly and Liz Taylor. |
| Thompson, Bobby |
Host of the Running Man show. |
| Throckmorton, ? |
Mother of Stacey, Bradley and Cassie. |
| Throckmorton, Bradley |
18 Year old brother of Stacey and Cassie. He helped organise Ben Richards escape from Boston. |
| Throckmorton, Cassie |
Sister of Stacey - dying of cancer of the Lung, throat and stomach. 5 years old. |
| Throckmorton, Stacey |
A 7 year old boy that helped Ben to escape from Boston. |
| Upshaw, Mrs |
Mentioned by Richards |
| Victor, Fred |
Running Man director |
| Ward, Rinda |
Ben Richards tester for the Games |
| Wells, H G |
Author mentioned in passing |
| Williams, Amelia |
Richards hostage from Falmouth. He took her from Falmouth to Derry, and then on the plane. He let
her go just before crashing the plane |
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