The Running Man
by Stephen King
Contents
…Minus 082 and COUNTING… The tenth floor of the Games Buildin
Overview
Richards is taken into the broadcast center of The Running Man and shown how thoroughly his survival struggle will be packaged as entertainment. Director Fred Victor explains Richards’s on-air entrance, required tape submissions, and release onto Rampart Street, while Killian confirms the rewards for citizens, cameramen, and violence against Hunters or police.
The chapter clarifies that Richards is not merely being hunted; he is also expected to serve as unpaid content for the Network. His sarcasm and hostility deepen the conflict between his human desperation and the show’s appetite for spectacle.
Summary
Burns and the guards take Ben Richards to the tenth floor of the Games Building, where the public fantasy of advancement ends and the Network’s broadcast machinery begins. The sterile corridors, solar go-carts, studios, and touring spectators show Richards the polished production side of the Games. When a Games employee blows him a kiss, Richards responds with contempt.
At the secured door for The Running Man, Richards inserts his I.D. card and is admitted, but Burns tells him that he no longer needs the card. Inside the control room, Richards meets Dan Killian again, as well as director Fred Victor and host Bobby Thompson. Richards remains hostile and sarcastic, while Killian and Thompson treat his rudeness as part of the show’s expected spectacle.
Victor explains the broadcast plan. Thompson will introduce Richards with biographical material and photos, then Richards will be brought onstage by armed guards, interviewed, given his stake money, and sent out alone. Victor emphasizes that hostile crowd reaction, riot guns, and Richards’s anger are all valued as entertainment. Richards asks about Laughlin and learns that Laughlin will follow him on the program, while Jansky serves as another backup contestant.
Victor then gives Richards the operational rules for the broadcast after he leaves. Richards will receive a small tape machine and sixty tape clips, and he must mail in two clips per day so the Network can edit them for that night’s broadcast. Victor claims the Hunters work independently from the broadcast operation, though Richards doubts this. After exiting through a street elevator onto Rampart Street, Richards will be completely on his own.
Killian adds the final financial details: Richards or his estate will be paid extra for killing Hunters or law officers, while citizens can earn money by reporting sightings, and independent cameramen can sell footage. Richards mocks the blood-money incentives, prompting Killian to cut him off. Killian sends Richards to makeup with Miss Jones, and Richards leaves at 2:30 with the show only hours away.
Who Appears
- Ben RichardsContestant briefed for The Running Man; sarcastic, hostile, and aware of the show’s exploitation.
- Dan KillianNetwork executive who explains financial incentives and frames violence as entertainment.
- Fred VictorDirector of The Running Man; details the broadcast staging, equipment, and tape requirements.
- Bobby ThompsonPolished host and emcee of The Running Man, present before interviewing Richards on-air.
- Arthur M. BurnsGames official escorting Richards to the tenth-floor broadcast facility.
- Miss JonesStaff member who leads Richards away to makeup before the broadcast.
- LaughlinAnother contestant scheduled to appear after Richards as part of the simultaneous runs.
- JanskyBackup contestant mentioned as part of the program’s contingency planning.