Richard Bachman

Fox The Cave · Feb 1, 2008

Yep, that ever so mysterious man who once put 'Rooster Worship' down as his religion on a survey. He died a while back (cancer of the pseudonym - it kills over one non-existant people every year), but i'm just getting into his work now. I've read Thinner and I just finished The Long Walk. A few pages into Road Work right now.

Thinner was good, I enjoyed it - but the ending didn't really work for me. Felt it wasn't really the right ending for the story. The mobster was by far my favourite character, I forget his name though. Started with a G.

The Long Walk was fucking phenonemal - I really, really enjoyed it and it far surpassed my expectations. Except...again, the ending. The end fell a bit flat for me - apart from that revelation about Stebbins, it was pretty run-of-the-mill and unfortunately not very satisfying. The story, the style and the characters throughout though were simply amazing - I greatly recommend this book. Or just pick it up in The Bachman Books and save yourself a few dollars.

Road Work seems pretty good so far, but i'm only 20 or so pages in.

Your thoughts on this mysterious character and his works?

PS - Lets keep this topic devoid of discussions of Kings work - lets just focus on Mr. Bachman here. I think he's starting to get a little jealous of all the attention Stephen gets.

kristie911 · Feb 1, 2008

Love his books. I've read all his older works but not in a long time.

But I just read Blaze and thought it was excellent. Great characters, appropriate ending. Very entertaining. It's a newer release (I got it in paperback though, and I'm not sure it came out in hardcover) but was written by Bachman in the early 70's. I highly recommend it.

orion_mk3 · Feb 1, 2008

I was utterly sucked into "The Running Man" the other day. Bachman didn't write much out-and-out science fiction (horror was his forté, methinks) but it was a terrific example of a long, slow buildup to some explosive tension, revealing fascinating insights about the world as it went. I'll be damned if I can figure out how the book started with a bang despite very little of consequence happening for pages upon pages.

After plowing through it in one afternoon, I noticed that it has a really razor-sharp focus (the action never shifts from the protagonist for a second until the very end) and the ending hasn't aged well at all. In fact, it might be why the book's rather hard to find in this post 9/11 world. The work was also more than a little contrived near the tail, and just about the only thing it and the Arnie flick have in common is their name.

Fox The Cave · Feb 1, 2008

I wouldn't say horror was his forte - that's more King's suite. I think Bachmans more of a thrilling situation writer than a horror writer.

Endings do seem to be his weak point though, don't they? I haven't read Blaze yet though, and i'm only taking your word on the ending for The Running Man. I'll chip in my two cents when I read them both, and on Road Work of course. What about Rage? Anyone have anything to say about that?

MMWyrm · Feb 1, 2008

I actually think Bachman is darker. What were those two companion novels? Desperation and what? I can't remember. I read them in the hospital. I love the Long Walk. The Bachman Books was the first grown-up book I ever bought myself at 12 years old.

KTC · Feb 1, 2008

I picked up Blaze on Wednesday. I haven't cracked it yet, except to see that there is a long letter to constant reader. I love those! I can't wait to read Blaze. The long walk was my fav. Bachman.

seun · Feb 2, 2008

orion_mk3 said:
and the ending hasn't aged well at all. In fact, it might be why the book's rather hard to find in this post 9/11 world. The work was also more than a little contrived near the tail, and just about the only thing it and the Arnie flick have in common is their name.

I thought the end was superb.

The only one of Bachman's books I didn't bother with was The Regulators. Just didn't fancy it.

Thrillride · Feb 14, 2008

MMWyrm said:
I actually think Bachman is darker. What were those two companion novels? Desperation and what? I can't remember. I read them in the hospital. I love the Long Walk. The Bachman Books was the first grown-up book I ever bought myself at 12 years old.

Desperation & The Regulators.

Thrillride · Feb 14, 2008

kristie911 said:
Love his books. I've read all his older works but not in a long time.

But I just read Blaze and thought it was excellent. Great characters, appropriate ending. Very entertaining. It's a newer release (I got it in paperback though, and I'm not sure it came out in hardcover) but was written by Bachman in the early 70's. I highly recommend it.

Yeah! I was hoping someone would give a review. I am going to pick it up.

Thrillride · Feb 14, 2008

seun said:
I thought the end was superb.

The only one of Bachman's books I didn't bother with was The Regulators. Just didn't fancy it.

I bought Desperation and the Regulators together some years ago...you know, when the hard covers came out and if you put the spines of the books together it completed a picture.

I didn't like 'em much. I'm sure they were good, but just not my style. My friend told me I HAD to read The Long Walk - it's on my shelf. I need to crack that one open.

kristie911 · Feb 14, 2008

Thrillride said:
Yeah! I was hoping someone would give a review. I am going to pick it up.

Make sure you let us know what you think of Blaze. I loved it but I tend to be easily taken by a book.

Kevin Yarbrough · Feb 15, 2008

Fox The Cave said:
I wouldn't say horror was his forte - that's more King's suite. I think Bachmans more of a thrilling situation writer than a horror writer.

King said that Bachman was more darker than he was.

Blaze was good and it did come out in hardback, I have it. Regulators was all right but the only reason I think it wasn't really good was because he tried to make the same story over wich made it fall a bit flat.

The Bachman Books, aka Running Man, Rage, Long Walk, Roadwork were all good. Good luck finding Rage now though since King pulled it off the market with the rash of school shootings now a days. Thinner wasn't that bad.

Little FYI for you all even though you might know it already. Bachman was writing a book when the cancer of the pseudo killed him and that book is The Dark Half, it's why, IMO, it is a bit darker than Kings works.

How many books would Bachman have written if people would have left well enough alone and not caused the untimely death of suck a good writer? The world may never know.

Richard Bachman

Fox The Cave

I get cancer. I kill Jack.

kristie911

Happy to be here

orion_mk3

Ne Cede Malis

Fox The Cave

I get cancer. I kill Jack.

MMWyrm

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

seun

Horror Man

Thrillride

A Suburban Farmer

Thrillride

A Suburban Farmer

Thrillride

A Suburban Farmer

kristie911

Happy to be here

Kevin Yarbrough

Will write for peace of mind