One tricky thing about writing dystopian fiction with staying power is that the future eventually catches up with you. Stephen King's 1982 novel The Running Man takes place in 2025. In his vision of, well, now, there is widespread poverty, rule by giant corporations, and exploitative entertainment that takes advantage of people who are suffering and tries to force ordinary people to despise each other. There is environmental destruction, mass surveillance and even the resurgence of polio. Just imagine.

The story follows a man named Ben Richards, who tries to provide for his family and his sick kid by going on a game show also called The Running Man . On the show, he has to survive on the streets for 30 days while professional assassins pursue him. If he makes it, he wins a billion dol

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