I had an idea for this chapter but the number of books involved began to grow. I then had to find something to use to do this time around. I remembered that over the last few Chapters I've mentioned a couple of books released under the Hard Case Crime imprint - One by Pete Hamill and the other by Stephen King. While scouring my "stacks" for any other book I might have that was released the same I found this - another work by King but under his Nom de Plume Richard Bachman. He chose to release them this way as a means of getting around his publisher's limitation of 1 book a year. I've said before that I'm not a big fan of King's but these are reminiscent of his early works which, in myopinion, were his best.
Off the Shelf
The Bachman Books - Stephen King ($5.97/$5.95, copyright *1977+1979+1981+1982+1985, **923 pages, Paperback)
I bought this - and first read it - in 1986. In fact, I found the sales slip inside the front cover - Waldenbooks, October 29, 1986. to be honest, I hadn't heard of Bachman before and only picked it up because these 4 novels were released in one volume with King's name in large print on the front cover. I don't think I would've bought them individually under just the Bachman name. Since there's more then 1 book here, I'm going to address them individually.
Rage (*1977, ** 170 pages)
One of King’s earliest works and is definitely raw in many aspects. It is the story of Charlie Decker, the quintessential troubled teen. One day he walks into class, shoots the teacher, and holds the class hostage. While the police work from the outside to rectify the situation, King gives us what takes place inside. Charlie and the class start to bond over shared experiences as they discuss various issues and problems. The characters may be stereotypes but that works to King's advantage as he moves the narrative towards what made Charlie do what he did. However, it builds to an ending that I didn't like, much like many of King's later, longer novels.
The Long Walk (*1979, ** 264 pages)
In this one, King takes us into the future when America has become a Totalitarian Society. As a form of entertainment they have an annual contest - a walk involving 100 boys that starts on Presque Isle, Maine and goes until there's only one left. Ray Garraty is 16 and gets swept up along with the others. The winner gets whatever he wants for the rest of his life. The rules are simple - Keep walking at a steady pace of 4 miles an hour, stay on the road, and don't interfere with the others. You get 3 warnings, then the soldiers following along shoot you. No reason is given in the text. There's very little suspense here and it tends to drag in spots but King fleshes out Ray and the interpersonal relationships he forms with his fellow walkers. You can almost feel the dread and anxiety as fatigue starts to seep in. Not a typical King work but it did hold my interest.
Road Work (*1981, ** 274 pages)
Barton Dawes' life has been a comfortable, Middle Class one until things take a turn for the worst. Everything he's worked for his entire life - his job, his family, his home - have been taken away from him. He's reduced to living above the Laundry Plant that he works in. Then comes the final straw. A new Highway Extension is going to be built right over the plant and his apartment. Bart is now a man on the edge and finally decides to fight back. I can identify with Bart more then I can with the protagonists of the previous stories but, to me, this is the weakest one. It takes forever to get anywhere with it even though King does another great job at character development. Also, as Bart descends into madness I couldn't help but be reminded of Jack Torrance in "The Shining", one of King's best works.
The Running Man (1982, **217 pages)
King takes us back to the future with this final entry. Well, 2025 to be precise. Ben Richards applies to be a contestant on the top-rated Reality Show "The Running Man". He needs the Billion Dollar prize money in order to get the medicine that his sick daughter needs. It's a pretty simple premise - he just has to stay alive for a month by evading the Hunters who are out to kill him. Complicating this is the fact that he can't trust anyone because almost everyone is watching the show and would turn him in for the reward. This book moves along briskly and King does a great job again with the characters and the set-ups. I have to admit to having seen the movie adaption starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Dawson a long time ago so I did superimpose them onto the characters. (Side Note: When I see the name Ben Richards, I think of Ben Grimm and Reed Richards - 2 of the Fantastic Four. I like to think King did too.)
Taken together, this is a mixed bag. Pretty much like a short story collection. There's a strong one and a weak one and the others fall somewhere in the middle. It was OK.
I'm still working on the idea I mentioned at the beginning. In fact, I'm reading 2 of the books now and there are 3 more that fall into the concept. They're all pretty short so I'm pretty sure I'll finish them.
That's it for now. The weather's been sort of changeable, today being warm but overcast. Tomorrow is supposedto be warm again and sunny. Then we get cold. That's October for you. The end of the month brings us Halloween
which I hope we can all find some way to enjoy. Next month is November so don't forget to VOTE! Also, Thanksgiving is on it's way and I hope we can find a way to celebrate. Till then,
Wash your hands.
Wear a mask.
Stay socially distant. And ---
Keep Reading.
