We Read Allegedly

Episode 46: The Running Man | Stephen King Writing as Richard Bachman | Dystopian Book Review

What do you do when the book you were assigned makes you so mad you can barely get through it? Celeste and John tackle The Running Man, Stephen King's dystopian thriller published under his pen name Richard Bachman, and they both walked away with the same feeling. What did they think about the protagonist, the underlining messaging, and the over all structure of the story? Check out this very honest review of one of King's most debated early works. 📚 Books and Media Mentioned Main Episode Book: * The Running Man by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) Recent Reads: * Final book in the Fred the Vampire Accountant series (Celeste) * Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind, and Naked by Jean "Malice" Thornton, brother of Pusha T (John) | Content advisory: mature language and themes Books Referenced in Discussion: * The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (Stephen King) * Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury * The Cell by Stephen King (recommended as a better alternative if you like this type of story) * Bone Man's Daughter by Ted Decker (mentioned by John, author name stated from memory mid-conversation) * The Circle series by Ted Decker Movies and Shows Referenced: * The Running Man (1987 film) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger * Blade Runner * Altered Carbon * Speed (1994) starring Keanu Reeves ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 Intro and welcome back after a hiatus 1:05 Recent reads: Celeste on the final book in the Fred the Vampire Hamilton series 2:29 Recent reads: John on Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind, and Naked by Jean Malice Thornton (Pusha T's brother) 4:51 Transitioning to the main book: The Running Man by Stephen King as Richard Bachman 5:12 Plot summary: Ben Richards enters a deadly televised survival competition to get medicine for his daughter 6:00 John's reaction: why he put it straight into his Did Not Finish pile 7:07 Celeste's reaction: bored, couldn't connect to the main character at all 8:00 The Richard Bachman identity: why this book feels more agenda-driven than typical Stephen King 9:39 Character problem: we never get to know Ben Richards before the chaos starts 10:41 World-building discussion: could this be in the same universe as The Long Walk? The Fahrenheit 451 comparison 11:02 Structural issues: the chapter countdown gimmick and why it does not add up 12:14 "It felt like a Squid book": a nod to Katherine, who picked this title, and her taste for the dour 13:06 Final ratings and craft discussion: King's writing quality saves it from zero stars 15:29 The movie comparison: 1987 Schwarzenegger film vs. the book 16:00 The Speed (1994) physics tangent 17:29 Final verdict: do they recommend The Running Man? 18:33 Closing book recommendation: The Cell by Stephen King 🔗 Find Us Website: wereadallegedly.com Instagram: @wereadallegedly Twitter: @wereadallegedly Goodreads: We Read, Allegedly group Email: wereadallegedly@gmail.com Proudly part of the Devoted Geek Network: geekdevotions.com [www.geekdevotions.com] We Read Allegedly is a book review podcast where we are definitely, totally reading books as often as we say we are.

Episode 45: Tress and the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

This month John and Celeste talk about Tress and the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. Also.... We Have Merch Now! https://geekdevotions.creator-spring.com/listing/we-read-allegedly?product=46&variation=2759 Hi Grand-mama Squid! If you want to interact with us, feel free to join the Devoted Geeks Discord https://discord.gg/ZwWgzqKzwm If you would like to hear more of rt out since he had to make it.) https://linktr.ee/johnharju If you want to know more about what Celeste does, check out all her stuff here https://linktr.ee/celeste.mora. As always, Squid is elusive and may be found in the greater Chicago area, sinking ships and taking names—you know, doing squid things.

Life update, and a quick mini review of Wool by Hugh Howey

We've been MIA, this very quick episode explains why.

Episode 44: The Shining by Stephen King

Time for a New episode of the Year of King! Also.... We Have Merch Now! https://geekdevotions.creator-spring.com/listing/we-read-allegedly?product=46&variation=2759 Storygraph Challenge Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/645c2c3c-d219-4a24-82e1-896d4f47fc9cHi Mama Squid! If you want to interact with us, feel free to join the Devoted Geeks Discord https://discord.gg/ZwWgzqKzwm If you would like to hear more of rt out since he had to make it.) https://linktr.ee/johnharju If you want to know more about what Celeste does, check out all her stuff here https://linktr.ee/celeste.mora. As always, Squid is elusive and may be found in the greater Chicago area, sinking ships and taking names—you know, doing squid things.

Episode 43: The Boats of Glen Carrig by William Hope Hodgson

This month John, Squid and Celeste discuss a Johns pick, called The Boats of Glen Carrig by William Hope Hodgson. Storygraph Challenge Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/645c2c3c-d219-4a24-82e1-896d4f47fc9cHi Mama Squid! If you want to interact with us, feel free to join the Devoted Geeks Discord https://discord.gg/ZwWgzqKzwm If you would like to hear more of rt out since he had to make it.) https://linktr.ee/johnharju If you want to know more about what Celeste does, check out all her stuff here https://linktr.ee/celeste.mora. As always, Squid is elusive and may be found sinking ships and taking names—you know, doing squid things—in the greater Chicago area.