The Bachman Books (Long Walk / Rage / Roadwork / Running Man) vs The Running Man: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Television game shows, Crime Scenes, Dystopia, Horror, Science Fiction, Adventure
The Bachman Books (Long Walk / Rage / Roadwork / Running Man)
Omnibus collection of four early Bachman novels ([Rage][1], [The Long Walk][2], [Roadwork][3], [The Running Man][4]) and the essay "Why I Was Bachman" ([source][5]) [1]:…
vs
The Running Man
“She was squinting at the thermometer in the white light coming through the window.”
The Running Man is a dystopian thriller novel by American writer Stephen King, first published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1982 as a paperback original. It was collected in 1985 in the omnibus The Bachman…
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Running Man is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 18 for The Bachman Books (Long Walk / Rage / Roadwork / Running Man).
- The Running Man has the widest readership — 180207 ratings behind its score.
- The Running Man runs the darker storyline; The Bachman Books (Long Walk / Rage / Roadwork / Running Man) stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
The Running Man
≈ 4h vs 18h for The Bachman Books (Long Walk / Rage / Roadwork / Running Man)
In the mood for something dark?
The Running Man
a darker storyline than The Bachman Books (Long Walk / Rage / Roadwork / Running Man)
Want something lighter?
The Bachman Books (Long Walk / Rage / Roadwork / Running Man)
an easier tone than The Running Man
Scores by source
| The Bachman Books (Long Walk / Rage / Roadwork / Running Man) | The Running Man | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.9 (180207) |
| Hardcover | — | 3.7 (495) |
| Google Books | — | 4.0 (20) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (386) |
Reception
| The Bachman Books (Long Walk / Rage / Roadwork / Running Man) | The Running Man | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 167 | 180207 |
| Editions | 19 | 40 |
| Citations | — | 11 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 115990 |
| Reading it now | — | 3452 |
| Written reviews | — | 10658 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 20741 |
| Pages | 978 | 251 |