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The Bachman Books

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 23,186 ratings · 430 reviews

Written under the nom de plume "Richard Bachman", here are four early novels by bestselling author Stephen King: RAGE, a story of stunning psychological horror; THE LONG WALK, the tale of a macabre marathon; ROADWORK, a variation on the theme of "Home Sweet Home"; and THE RUNNING MAN, a nightmare vision of a ghoulish game show in which you bet your life--literally.

Paperback, 704 pages

Published October 1st 1996 by Plume (first published October 4th 1985)

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Apr 26, 2012 Stefan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rage:
One of King’s earliest works, Rage wasn’t published until he had established himself and when it was, it was published under the author name Richard Bachman. This novel is definitely raw in many aspects, but I think that is what helps to give it its charm.
The story centers on a student who kills his teacher in front of his class and holds the class hostage for most of the day. He and the class then discuss a variety of issues, but the main conversation revolves around what has led him to t...more Rage:
One of King’s earliest works, Rage wasn’t published until he had established himself and when it was, it was published under the author name Richard Bachman. This novel is definitely raw in many aspects, but I think that is what helps to give it its charm.
The story centers on a student who kills his teacher in front of his class and holds the class hostage for most of the day. He and the class then discuss a variety of issues, but the main conversation revolves around what has led him to this. King’s narrative and character development really help to pull the reader into the story and there is enough tension to help keep things moving when it starts to seem that it’s going to be dull.
Not the most action packed or scary of King’s novels, but still manages to be a page turner. I rank it up with the top of his novels from the story-telling aspect of this novel alone.

The Long Walk:
The Long Walk is another of Stephen King's novels written as Richard Bachman. In the traditional style of his Bachman writings, it is much more raw than most of his other writing. I enjoy the change in style as it lends even more realism to his writing and makes the story even more intense.
The Long Walk isn't really a horror tale so much as it is a tale of friendships formed under dire circumstances. We see up close how this interpersonal relationships grow and dissolve and reform again with great frequency throughout the race. It is also about the strength of the human spirit. When pushed to its limits, the human mind continues to push the body on into realms never deemed possible by the rational mind.
The story is a good one, if a little predictable, and even though it moves along at a slower pace than some, it's almost like we are right there with the walkers as follow-along spectators. Rich in detail and character, the slow pace doesn't make you want to stop reading, if anything, it enhances the tension.
I truly enjoyed rereading this novel and plan on visiting it again in the future.

Road Work:
This is my lowest rated King book so far. Not to say that it is a bad book or that I would discourage anyone from reading it, but it's definitely not on par with the majority of King's other works.
As usual, character development is top notch and the plot itself has no real problems. My problem with the book is that it really takes forever to get anywhere. The basic theory of the plot is that we see a man's descent into madness as everything that he has worked his entire life for is being taken away from him. He systematically sets out to destroy anything that he has left and tries to find a way to exact some sort of vengeance against the powers that be who have ruined his existence.
I have no problem with this storyline except that the way that it plays out, a lot of it is a rehash of what happens to the mind of Jack Torrance in The Shining. It's not nearly as nutty as The Shining, nor do we have the supernatural overtones in Roadwork, but I just got the general impression that I'd experienced the feel of the novel somewhere else.
Anyway, I don't want to condemn this story in any way. The main character is compelling and endearing in his way and the novel definitely has some strong moments here and there, I just felt that it took a little to long to get to some of them.

The Running Man:
It's the future and Ben Richards journeys to the Network Games Building to apply for a job as a contestant in order to supply the money to feed his family and provide medicine for his sick infant daughter. The job he gets ends up being more than both he and the Network bargained for!
The Running Man is a fairly well written tale set in the now not too distant future. Interestingly enough, the country is riveted to their free-vees in order to watch what is in essence nothing more than an unending stream of reality television game shows. It makes me wonder if Mark Burnett based some of his ideas upon this book and the (sort of) related movie.
Once Richards has moved through the application process, the action moves along at a pretty brisk pace and there are some really nice elements of storytelling apparent throughout. My only complaint is that King tries a little too hard with creating the future setting and goes overboard with the names and slogans for things that he uses in his setting. At times, especially during the beginning of the book, it's a bit cheesy and distracting.(less)

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Jul 08, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

These four novellas are almost as good as their cousins from Different Seasons . It's a shame that the Columbine Shootings have directly proceeded to the best of the four stories—Rage, with its everyone-can-find-some-angle-to-relate-to protagonist Charlie Decker, he who thrashed in his sleep whilst in the marescape of The Cherokee Nose Job—being consigned to the ashbin of publishing history. No more shall the intrepid young reader experience the thrilling fractured-mirror empathic pulses from th...more These four novellas are almost as good as their cousins from Different Seasons . It's a shame that the Columbine Shootings have directly proceeded to the best of the four stories—Rage, with its everyone-can-find-some-angle-to-relate-to protagonist Charlie Decker, he who thrashed in his sleep whilst in the marescape of The Cherokee Nose Job—being consigned to the ashbin of publishing history. No more shall the intrepid young reader experience the thrilling fractured-mirror empathic pulses from the original teen instigator of Let's Take the Class Hostage and Commence Playing Operation Mindfuck without seeking out older, shopworn editions. In the light of events that happened in the past few decades, I suppose the decision is understandable, if, IMO, somewhat lamentable. It may be that my memories of Rage are all the fonder as, one hash-filled eventide during my eighteenth year, select passages from the narrative of Charlie Decker, read to me by a luscious lynx of a Croat, were accompanied by one of the finest, most leisurely handjobs I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing that wasn't self-administered—she worked it like the shifter of a banana yellow Porsche 928—and until the day I die I will always, first and foremost, associate Rage with that pleasant sharing with a svelte story chum. Ah, summer nights.

The other three stories have no erotic recollections attached to them, alas, but nonetheless they remain damn fine stuff. The Long Walk was suitably appealing to my temperament at that particular age; and I can still recall the clenching induced by the whipcrack of a rifle as the first amongst these futuristic, neo-gladiatorial stripling walking dudes was ticketed, though, of course, I knew it was coming. King/Bachman ofttimes has difficulty with his endings—he's not a natural closer—but the final sentences of The Long Walk are just really good. The Running Man proved a far better experiment in dystopian pursuits than the rather goofy, Dawson's Cheek of a movie that was subsequently hatched under its rubric; and the underrated Roadwork—which, regrettably, has had nary a kind word written anywhere to acknowledge its depiction of a hands-on cleansing of a particular built-up blockage of modern blue-and white-collar frustrations, wherein midsize shop employees felt a part of a family, rather than processed positions or payroll number sequences—possessed itself of a sweaty midwestern charm that I appreciated the more with each further reading. Still, it was the opening gambit of the savage explosive power of teenage torment contained within Rage that always drew me back—it just won't be the same without Charlie Don't Mind If I Do! Decker and his Ted-baiting shenanigans greeting the curious reader and inveigling him towards Getting It On.(less)

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May 09, 2011 Kit★ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: keep-forever, post-apocalyptic-or-dystopian, horror, suspense-thriller

It's been a good 10-12 years since I've read this one, and it was long overdue for a re-read. Especially considering the fact that the only story I could really even remember in even the vaguest way was "The Long Walk". So I picked it up to give it another whirl. Not disappointed at all, but of course, that's no surprise.
"Rage" slipped through the cracks in my mind, big-time. I was browsing around online, and seen an article about this book of SK's about a school shooting that was no longer bein...more It's been a good 10-12 years since I've read this one, and it was long overdue for a re-read. Especially considering the fact that the only story I could really even remember in even the vaguest way was "The Long Walk". So I picked it up to give it another whirl. Not disappointed at all, but of course, that's no surprise.
"Rage" slipped through the cracks in my mind, big-time. I was browsing around online, and seen an article about this book of SK's about a school shooting that was no longer being published. I was like "huh?" Didn't remember it at all. Good thing I've got this edition for my collection. It's the story of boy (Charlie Decker) reaching his breaking point. Mentally unstable, he's got this deep, hateful rage toward his father going back to when he was a toddler. Due to his mentality, he has some trouble in school, especially one time when he gets called up to the blackboard to do a problem, and the teacher makes fun of him. So he busts the teacher in the head with a big wrench. That sets in motion more problems for Charlie, with the principal, with the guidance counselor, and with his father. So one day he decides to use the gun he's been carrying around, and after lighting a fire in his locker, he proceeds to kill two teachers, and holds his classmates hostage. But not with the intention of killing them. Sure, he threatens it, but mostly he just wants to teach them a lesson of sorts. Through the day, the kids learn things about each other, and themselves, culminating in some revenge taken out on another student. Charlie ends up in a mental hospital, and that's probably for the best.
"The Long Walk" is so far my favorite in this collection. I love the characterization, the boys on this walk, Garraty, McVries, Stebbins, poor, sweet Scramm... I definitely wanted more information on what kind of world they were living in, how had this walk come about, what was going on with the Government, what and why was this Squad-ing? I can't imagine having to walk like this, endless, no stopping, no resting. I'd die for sure! I like how the boys handled it differently, and I liked how SK depicted the encroaching madness. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. What the heck? He made it to the end, his mind had been slipping, but mostly seemed to be holding in there, then when he finally reached the end and won, I guess it was too much for his mind to handle? I don't know, I didn't like how he just took off running. Stop, man! You won, you're done, lay down and rest, y'know? Otherwise an excellent story.
"Roadwork" was another one I didn't really remember, but now I'm really glad I read it. It may even be the new best in the collection. I thought it was quite a good story, if a little slow in the beginning. It's a day by day tale of a depressed guy, Barton Dawes, who just decides he can't take it anymore. By all outward appearances, he's happy, good marriage with a pretty wife, nice house, a long-time job at an industrial laundry. But the city has plans underway to build a freeway extension that will go right through his neighborhood, destroying his home, and the plant he works at. So inside, sort of subconsciously, he's freaking out. He's supposed to be handling the deal on the new plant where his company will move to, and his wife thinks he's handling the finding of their new home as well. He's balking at the idea of over 20 years of memories being bulldozed and paved over, especially when he thinks of his son who passed away. That plays a big part in his breakdown/rebellion. He starts talking to himself, he spins a ton of lies, and eventually ends up losing his wife and job. In place of going to work, he begins traveling up and down the freeway every day, and even stops to pick up a hitchhiker one day. She ends up being a good part of his thoughts, and I liked her character (though I really liked his wife Mary too). He finds Sal Magliore, an Italian mobster type character, a little stereotypical, but easy to envision in my mind, and even sort of likable in a strange way, so not a terrible thing I guess. Bart has a plan to make his point and go out with a bang, and it works, if only for a short while. I almost am surprised at how much I liked this story. Reading the short little description on the back of the cover, I didn't think this would be one I would be real into, but it was an excellent surprise, and it's now a story I'll think about for a good while.
"The Running Man" took me by surprise. This was a great sort of dystopian story, where America has been sort of taken over by a TV (Free-Vee) Network, and poor people are just fodder for the "entertainment" machine. The main character, Ben Richards is poor, unemployed with pretty much no chances of getting a job, sort of angry and down in the dumps, his baby daughter sick with an awful case of the flu, and no way of getting medical help for her. Their meals consist of a food pill for him and his wife, maybe some fake coffee, and fake milk for the baby. On the Free-Vee, there are game shows, brutal and even sort of sinister. For example, "Treadmill to Bucks" where the contestants all have heart or respiratory problems. They are put on a treadmill, and for every minute they walk while keeping up conversation with the show host, they win ten dollars. Every couple of minutes, they'll be asked a question, and if they get it right, they'll get fifty dollars. If they get it wrong, fifty dollars is deducted from their winnings so far, and the treadmill's speed is increased. Contestants frequently have heart attacks and/or strokes. And that's just one of the tamer day-time shows. The prime-time ones are even worse. So Ben, with no other options, decides to go to the Network headquarters and sign up for a show. He's just one of a long line of poor people waiting to sign up. Finally, he gets in, and is put through a barrage of physical and mental tests, and is selected as a contestant. He's one of six that get called up to the upper offices, and 3 of the six are led off on way, while Ben, a guy named Laughlin, and another guy get led off the other way. Turns out, Ben has been selected to be the new man on the hit show "The Running Man", a show where two guys (in this case Ben and Laughlin) are introduced to Free-Vee audiences nationwide, and given exaggerated profiles of being anti-social and anti-establishment. They have a 12 hour headstart before Hunters start coming after them, and citizens everywhere are encouraged to call in and report sightings, they get rewarded $100 for a proven sighting, and $1000 for a sighting resulting in the contestants death. For every hour the men stay alive, they earn $100, and if they happen to kill a law-enforcement official, they earn a $100 bonus. Ben's desperate for the money for his family, and he has to trust that the people in charge will give it to his wife. So with everyone on the lookout for him and hating his guts, he's released back into the city. And oh yea, he has to mail in two 10 minute video tapes to the Network per day, or he'll forfeit the money, and the hunt will still be on. Too bad the Network uses the postage stamps to locate Ben, despite saying that they wouldn't. Ben meets up with some more of "his people" (the poor from the inner-city) and gains an accomplice who helps him elude the Hunters, if only for a short time. But someone reports him, forcing him to make a run for it, getting him injured in the process. He starts to take desperate measures, taking a hostage, and bluffing his way through roadblocks and onto a plane. Here, towards the end, the story was really flying, I couldn't read fast enough, it was like barreling downhill toward a river. Ben discovers some terrible things on his last flight, and makes a dramatic last stand, with a fiery conclusion. I loved the ending. Loved it! I won't give it away, but it was excellent, I was left with a big grin on my face, saying "Hell yea!"
All of these stories were great in my opinion, and having finished, I don't know if I could pick a favorite between "The Long Walk", "Roadwork" and "The Running Man". A great collection of some early work by SK, and his younger style definitely is represented well here. (less)

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Aug 01, 2008 Gabriel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a collection of four novels. As I finish them, I will write mini-reviews for them.

Rage: While unrealistic in many senses, this has been among the most interesting and gripping Stephen King story I've read yet. The mob mentality that is created and the twist that makes this horror instead of just a thriller is something that could have come off as amaturish, but works really well under King's hand. The horror in this story is namely in that in underminds all the classical stereotypes of w...more This is a collection of four novels. As I finish them, I will write mini-reviews for them.

Rage: While unrealistic in many senses, this has been among the most interesting and gripping Stephen King story I've read yet. The mob mentality that is created and the twist that makes this horror instead of just a thriller is something that could have come off as amaturish, but works really well under King's hand. The horror in this story is namely in that in underminds all the classical stereotypes of what a good American (because King is rooted in the US culture) should do and how they should react. It is, in essence, King's version of Lord of the Flies ... but I found this one to be more interesting and a lot better.

The Long Walk: This, along with The Running Man, is probably the reason why newcomers to King's work would pick up this collection. The Long Walk is, essentially, the American version of Battle Royale (and yes, BR did come much later). The best part is, though, that by focusing his story on one stretch of highway and specifically on a certain set of boys in the group of 200 that start the walk, King allows the reader to understand the emotions and sanity levels of the group entire. While many situational pieces are missing in this story (How did this start? Why did some of these people actually sign up for it? What does the rest of the US look like in this future?), the intense focus of the story does allow the reader to delve deep into many other questions and ignore the nagging world around them. Very cool sections where the writing matches the characters' mindsets ... if only King could have made the entire piece work out that way!

Roadwork: King's assessment was correct, this is the worst of the bunch. Written with the flaws of a Dean Koontz novel (without the interesting plot ... which really says something), this plodding piece of trash made me cringe from all the bad writing. The main flaw, King tried too hard. His novel about "something serious" ended up being too long and had as much subtlety as a few jackhammers. I can understand the need to write to exorcise a few demons (in the introduction, he claims he wrote this piece when dealing with his mother's "painful death" the year before), but many of the pieces that come out of that much pain should not see the light of day ... read any high schooler's poetry for examples. Or read Roadwork. Or better yet, don't.

Running Man: Easily the most entertaining of the bunch, it is a simple story told with little or no MESSAGES. The closest to a pulp fiction story you can get without the massive violence (although the end is a little gory ... which is not a bad thing). I greatly enjoyed this one and read it the quickest of the four. No wonder it was made into an Arnold Schwarzenneger movie (though I haven't seen that yet). It fits that mode of quick action-no thinking that his movies have in common.

Overall: A nice collection of Richard Bachman/Stephen King books. It was interesting to see King trying new and/or different things with these. While they may not be among his best works, they are (with one exception) very enjoyable popular fiction works and two of them - Long Walk and Running Man - do rank among his better works. Thumbs up!(less)

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Jul 24, 2007 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: King fans

Shelves: horror, scifi

Road Work is the only weak link in this book, although legend has it that Rage is out of print finally (probably to King's great relief).

Rage - 20 years before high school massacres started in America, King wrote this story of a misunderstood and clearly mentally ill kid going apeshit and holding his classroom hostage.

The Long Walk - Once a year, one representative from each state, all boys around 18, set off walking at 4 MPH. If they slow down, they get warned. After the 3rd warning...let's j...more

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Jul 16, 2007 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fiction fans

Shelves: stephenking

I think this was my second or third King book. It collects all but Thinner of the original five Bachman novellas.
"The Running Man" I already reviewed. Better than (and WAY different from) than the movie
"The Long Walk" I also already reviewed. it's one of my favorite stories of all time. Love it.
"Roadwork" I don't remember all that well, but I know I liked it.
"Rage" was the controversial one. It's about a student who took his high school class hostage, killing the teacher in the process. The rest...more

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Jan 18, 2008 Kevin Mellor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: stephen-king

This may be the best thing Stephen King has ever done. Four short novels, all of them pure gold; "Rage" and "Roadwork" are two of my all-time favorites. The great thing about King-as-Bachman is that there's never a happy ending, which means that you're never even vaguely sure what's going to happen. Sometime in the last few years the collection has been broken into three individual paperbacks, with "Rage" being left out of print because SK thinks that somehow it inspired Columbine.

This may be o...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Gail Jeidy rated it 3 of 5 stars

While summer cleaning, my daughter tossed this book into the outtake pile. I don't know how it ended up on our bookshelves to begin with but I decided to give it a go before sending it out the door. I've seen all the King movie adaptations of course but must admit I've read little Stephen King beyond his book "On Writing" (which is great by the way) so I figured do it now. The Bachman Books contains four short novels King wrote under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman in the late '70s and early '8...more

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May 19, 2012 Campbell Mcaulay rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The Long Walk" - in a not too distant dystopian future, "The Walk" is the new American national sport. 100 walkers, all aged 16 years old. A long road and one simple rule - "Don't Stop".

"Roadwork" - the city council wants to build a road through Barton Dawes' home and business. Needless to say, Barton isn't too pleased about that. Neither is George. Nor is Freddie...

"The Running Man" is >the< big game show in an Orwellian future. The prize for winning is immense. But just don't expect to...more "The Long Walk" - in a not too distant dystopian future, "The Walk" is the new American national sport. 100 walkers, all aged 16 years old. A long road and one simple rule - "Don't Stop".

"Roadwork" - the city council wants to build a road through Barton Dawes' home and business. Needless to say, Barton isn't too pleased about that. Neither is George. Nor is Freddie...

"The Running Man" is >the< big game show in an Orwellian future. The prize for winning is immense. But just don't expect to win.Three novellas, written by King early in his career and published under his pseud "Richard Bachman". They are certainly very different in >content< and style than most of King's other works, although it's equally obvious that it's King writing. All three are rather unpleasant, apocalyptic stories in their way, lacking many of the softening characteristics of Kings other published work - darker themes, edgier characters and very much less compromising in their resolutions than most anything else he has written under his own name. They seem to have more in common with his Dark Tower series than his more "mainstream" writing. They retain, however, his trademark verbosity and all three novellas could have been written in half as much space as short stories and still got their messages across.

Written in the early 70's, they haven't aged >terribly< well, mostly in terms of the technological nuances described in the two dysto-future stories, but on the other hand the overarching themes - the TV society, big brother is watching you, the little man against the corporation - remain as relevant now as they were then.

An interesting insight into King's mind in his early years as a writer, the collection includes a "why I did it" intro regarding his decision to publish under a false name. To be honest it reads rather like post hoc self-justfication and it doesn't convince me.

The stories, however are great and up there with much of his later writing in terms of quality (if rather overlong) and quite deserving of four stars...

If you've seen the rather terrible film (The Running Man) don't be put off. The film and the story on which it was based are very very different, much in the same way that Blade Runner and Philip K Dick's Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?are different - with the exception that Scott made a pretty decent film out of a so-so (IMHO) novel.

For some reason, this version of the Bachman Books is missing the fourth story "Rage". It was about a young student who takes his classmates hostage and perhaps King felt that the subject matter was a little too contentious. It's a shame because my recollection is that it was the best of the quartet.(less)

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May 10, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the omnibus that is no longer sold commercially, thanks to the lead novella "Rage," which was found in the locker of one of the school shooters of the late '90s. You will now find editions of the other three novellas sold separately. Luckily for me, I bought this before SK took this one off the market.

Looking back 10+ years later, I think most of these stories hold up very well (especially since some of them were among the first things King ever wrote); "The Running Man" is the only clun...more

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Jun 25, 2009 Thee_ron_clark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: other, action

First of all, I will say that my thoughts posted in this review will not include my opinions on The Running Man. I skipped reading it with the other stories because I read it by itself recently.

The first story in this book is The Rage. I have heard that this story is why this book is so hard to come by in that it portrays some shootings in a school and might be considered relative to events in modern America. I feel that if this is the case, that it should not be mentioned in the same light as t...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Odhran rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction

Slightly different from the edition I read, but whatevs.

This one's quite a grab-bag of stuff - four novellas, two sci-fi and two alternate Americana (is that a thing? It should be a thing.) "Roadworks", the story of a man who's pissed at an interstate extension, is easily the weakest. It's Falling Down in a house, but without anywhere near the bite or venom. Eminently meh, and I guess three stars on its own.

"Rage" is the story of a teenager who holds a class hostage. Sort of. Quite an odd one, b...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Todd Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, psychological-thriller, pen-names, drama, future, science-fiction

I've read the first four Bachman books a few times now and these are how I'd rank the stories contained herein:

#1: "The Running Man" (4.5 stars, standalone review) - this one bears very little similarity to the movie starring Arnie, including the ending which is totally spoiled by the introduction by Stephen King in the standalone version of this book (don't read the introduction first!). Ben Richards is much darker and angrier than in the movie, too. This is really a tie with the second book fo...more I've read the first four Bachman books a few times now and these are how I'd rank the stories contained herein:

#1: "The Running Man" (4.5 stars, standalone review) - this one bears very little similarity to the movie starring Arnie, including the ending which is totally spoiled by the introduction by Stephen King in the standalone version of this book (don't read the introduction first!). Ben Richards is much darker and angrier than in the movie, too. This is really a tie with the second book for being the best story of the bunch. If you like more action-oriented tales, this one will probably be your favorite, too.

#2: "The Long Walk" (4.5 stars, standalone review) - another game-related story, this one has people walking until they fall down past the pace and get shot. The last one standing wins! This is gritty and shows a similar brooding future like "The Running Man" and it's great to see a story that stays so much in the present and makes your feet tired while you're reading! Stephen King wrote this at age 18, it's his first written novel (Carrie is the first published).

#3: "Roadwork" (4 stars, standalone review) - This and "Rage" both spend most of their time exploring characters self-destructing. Bart Dawson is the deepest, multi-layered character of any in this collection. Readers will feel Bart's pain and sadness as the wrecking ball comes a'calling. Can anybody ever fight city hall and win? Read this and find out.

#4: "Rage" - (3.5 stars, standalone review) - Upon my first read many years ago, I held this story in higher regard than after re-reading 30+ years later. I think the first person pov is what hurt here because readers don't fear what will happen to Charlie as much. Do we get inside Charlie's head better? Yes, but I think a more neutral narrator would have worked better here. Also, the first person voice isn't nearly as strong as King is known for in other tales. I do like how he constantly refers to the original title and the desire to "get it on" however.

This is a solid four star collection. Highly recommended for King fans who want to explore his darker Bachman side, perhaps after reading Thinner or the book that would have been a Bachman book Misery. Would not recommend starting a new Stephen King reader experience here. Instead, read the first four Stephen King books.(less)

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Apr 12, 2009 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

I originally read this collection of short stories back in high school because I was intrigued that the cheesy sci fi movie "The Running Man" came from a Stephen King book. This was before I realized what a ripe source Hollywood seems to think King's stories are for screen plays. In any event, the one short story which always stands out in my mind when I think of Stephen King is not The Running Man but another from this same collection...The Long Walk. Both stories take place in a futuristic Uni...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Colin Moon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, fiction, own

While I've only read two of the four novels contained in this book, it is still one of my favorite of King's 'four books in one' collections (Four Past Midnight, Different Seasons, the upcoming Full Dark, No Stars [which I'm very excited about:]), even though this is a book of an entirely different nature (the Bachman connection; the fact that each novel was released individually).

'Rage' is a brilliant novel dealing with school-shootings far before such things were actual events (recent school-s...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Daisy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

Rage
A gripping, horrifying story about a mentally ill teenager driven to breaking point. More than just a here-and-now, action filled, adrenalin rush thriller about a kid going mad with a gun, most of the book is relatively calm and focuses on past events that have led up to this point. (view spoiler)...more

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Sep 18, 2009 Andy marked it as to-read · review of another edition

You've got to love Wikipedia.

While "taking a break" at work yesterday I was searching King's page to find out some info on his upcoming "Under the Dome." While reading through the synopses of all his past works, I came across "The Bachman Books," which contains four of King's earliest short stories (including "The Running Man").

While there was nothing that immediately jumped out at me, the further I read it was stated that King has asked that this book go out of point after the 1999 Columbine...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Michael Tildsley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This is a great set of early King novels. Before reading this collection, of the Bachman side of King I had only read Thinner. This was a refreshing change of pace from some of his other, more supernatural work. The character development in these four novels seemed to come more organically than in some of his later works. The problems they face are all too real and, therefore, easy to sympathize with.

Rage was an interesting novel about a pre-Columbine school shooting, which dealt with the psycho...more This is a great set of early King novels. Before reading this collection, of the Bachman side of King I had only read Thinner. This was a refreshing change of pace from some of his other, more supernatural work. The character development in these four novels seemed to come more organically than in some of his later works. The problems they face are all too real and, therefore, easy to sympathize with.

Rage was an interesting novel about a pre-Columbine school shooting, which dealt with the psychological ebb and flow of the high school mob mentality. I found it to be an interesting "thought piece." It was amazing how King made it believable that the shooter should garner as much peer support as he does. Also, in general King fashion, it was hilarious when the shooter was able to "stick it to the man" in the ways he felt he was being stuck and thus his grievances.

The Long Walk is probably my favorite of the four in this collection. I love the simplicity of the idea. It is the stuff of nightmares. I love the grit and emotion King is able to convey without having to explain the finer points. The premise is that there are 100 teenage boys set out to walk. If they go below the rate of four miles an hour, they receive a warning. Three warnings and the troops trailing the march will shoot you down. The last one standing is to receive fabulous prizes. No prize for second place.

Roadwork could be my second favorite. It starts a little slow, but King develops the protagonist's character admirably. It reads almost like a game of chess. On one hand you have the threatened individual, whose job and home are at stake, and on the other you have the faceless government project of a road being built through a town.

I have mixed feelings about the final piece in this collection, The Running Man. I came to this collection specifically wanting to read this story and having seen the film adaptation. Ignoring the film and the reader expectation, this novel is still pretty good. The problem for me is that it's not as good. I don't think it is strong enough to have been placed last in the collection, though it seems that they are ordered chronologically by release date rather than on strength. If I had edited this collection, I would have suggested switching The Long Walk and The Running Man for effect. (less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Varun V rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

STEPHEN KING'S BACHMAN BOOKS (WRITTEN UNDER THE NAME RICHARD BACHMAN ) IS A PRETTY INTERESTING READ. MOSTLY IT IS A DEVIATION FROM KING'S TRADITIONAL STYLE OF HORROR.IT IS MORE OF A REALM INTO SCIENCE FICTION , ESPECIALLY DYSTOPIAN FICTION.
THE THREE STORIES IN THIS COLLECTION ARE -
1 THE LONG WALK
2 ROADWORK
3 THE RUNNING MAN
THE STORIES ARE PRETTY IMPRESSIVE EXCEPT ROADWORK WHICH IS PERHAPS THE WEAKEST AND MOST DEVIATING OF THEM ALL.
THE LONG WALK - 4/5
IT IS PRETTY DISHEARTENING TO GIVE THIS BOOK A...more

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May 01, 2009 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This collection contains the first four Bachman books.

Rage - a good high school angst story, which got a bad wrap after the Columbine incident.

The Long Walk - a very interesting "competition" for national celebrity, which really shows a well-crafted decent into insanity and makes it seem normal. Very under-rated.

Roadwork - a fairly boring account of a man who is about to be displaced from his home by the construction of a freeway. A weak entry in my opinion.

The Running Man - The inspiration behi...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Newt cox rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, own

I will break this down based on the stories in this collection.

Rage

This is not only my favorite thing King wrote as Bachman but also one of my favorite pieces of "horror" fiction ever. This is the story about a Teenager who takes a class room hostage. And he talks to his classmates and trys to explain why he has done what he has done. This story is a nice look inside the mind of a very troubled teenager. Sadly since Columbine Mr King has pulled the story from print.

The long walk

Set in the near f...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Karensi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book proves once and for all that there is more to King than a horror writer. My favourite of the three was The Long Walk. I love a dystopian and this one brings together two of Kings strengths; strong characters and an ability to create bonds between them.

Roadwork was probably my least favourite because the subject just didn't appeal to me. However, Kings ability to develop an interesting character kept me going. Had it been anyone else I probably would have missed out that one altogether....more

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Apr 11, 2009 Rob Essley added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 14, 2013 David Fuller added it

I should confess I only read this for "Rage," the novel about the student who kills his teacher and holds his classmates hostage.
I haven't read a lot of Stephen King, so I can't really compare it to his later books, but this was a great read. He not only puts us in his narrator Charlie's shoes -- something like a latter-day Holden Caulfield who similarly rejects what he sees as wrong with society, but in Charlie's case he forces others to come along for the ride after he opens fire in his schoo...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set of 4 novellas (though since the book is almost 700 pages, it feels like 4 full books) of early Stephen King novels published under his pseudonym.
Rage - Might be the weakest book, about a kid who takes his class hostage with unexpected results. For some reason, this felt the most dated. It might have been the lingo or the unrealistic reactions from the class, but as someone who was a teenager during the Columbine shootings, something rang false.
The Long Walk - Great concept about a competiti...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Veronika Duritzdeschain rated it 5 of 5 stars

Without a doubt one of my favourite books, the Bachman Books proves that horror is not about vampires, werewolves and blood but rather about human nature, depravity and circumstance. The Long Walk, Rage, Roadwork and the Running Man were included in my copy, with Thinner and the Regulators being read seperately. Out of them all I would have to say that the Long Walk was my favourite for its intensity and bitter comprehension. I used these stories as examples whenever people feel it necessary to...more

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Apr 10, 2009 Steen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, fantasy-sci-fi, 2009-books

These four stories were all pretty good. I don't know how he can come up with such wierd stories. Rage was shocking. The long walk made me think first why anyone would ever put themselves into that position and how terrifying it was to follow these characters along their journey until they stop walking. Sort of horrifying really. Roadwork was definately different and I didn't really figure out what he was planning until the end. I felt bad for his wife though. The running man was good. Completel...more

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Mar 01, 2009 Ryan Mishap rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: when-i-was-a-lad

I devoured Koontz and King back in middle school and part of high school. In retrospect, I could have spent my time on better books, but these chillers were an escape from things I didn't want to think about, especially at night when I couldn't sleep and my mind twisted my perceptions nauseatingly.
I'm not saying you should bother reading these, especially now that Koontz is openly being Christian and Stephen King thinks he is a writer, but I have a fondness for some of these books. If you are...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Tim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sf-spec-sci, thriller

I read this first when I was in my mid-teens but I saw it in the library the other day and, on a whim, I decided to read it again - to see what I thought of it 25-odd years later!
I did cheat a little bit however, as the edition that I picked up did not include the story "Rage" (which has been removed from this collection and allowed to go out of print); neither did I read the second of the three remaining stories ("Roadwork"), but that was purely because of time constraints - I had to get the bo...more

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Oct 05, 2009 Jak rated it 4 of 5 stars

A good collection of stories. The Long Walk is the star of the show and is the story of 100 teens embarking on a walking competition which only one can survive. Rage, I believe, has been withdrawn as it supposedly sets a blue print for any teens who want to shoot up a high school. You'd have thought guns would be withdrawn instead. The Running Man is a huge departure from the Arnie flick and is a whole lot more gritty and down beat and a damn sight better for it. While I don’t remember a whole l...more

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About Stephen King

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of the elderly couple. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and then Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He and Tabitha Spruce married in January of 1971. He met Tabitha in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University of Maine at Orono, where they both worked as students. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many of these were later gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.(less)

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Quotes from The Bachman Books

“I do have one slightly crooked wheel upstairs, but everything else is ticking along just four-o, thank you very much.” — 19 people liked it

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