Stephen King has published roughly 65 novels, a dozen short story collections, and several book-length pieces of nonfiction. Most of his novels have been reissued countless times in paperback, but they almost always begin their rapid climb up the bestseller charts in hardcover. Constant readers who have picked up the author’s books at launch likely have multiple shelves filled with hardcover editions. But even the most dedicated of King fans are missing at least a few of his novels in hardcover by default. Two of those gaps can now be filled thanks to a pair of welcome surprises from King’s publisher Scribner. The Running Man and The Long Walk are now available in separate hardcover editions for the first time.
The Long Walk’s hardcover edition was published October 7 for $29, while The Running Man released in hardcover today, October 14. Like many reissued King books, these new editions were prompted by the new film adaptations. The Long Walk’s first-ever adaptation is in theaters now, and the second adaptation of The Running Man premieres November 14. King’s books typically receive movie tie-in paperback editions, but these two classics have a unique publication history and missed out on the traditional hardcover to paperback pipeline.
So, why didn’t these novels release in hardcover back then? Because Richard Bachman wrote them. From 1977-1982, King released four novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Since his alias was a completely unknown author, The Long Walk (1979), The Running Man (1982), Rage (1977), and Roadwork (1981) were published as paperback originals. Bachman’s true identity was uncovered following the release of Thinner, the fifth Bachman novel, in 1984. Thinner was the first Richard Bachman book to receive a standalone hardcover edition, while the first four were collected in a hardcover omnibus in 1985.
The omnibus remains the only hardcover edition of Rage (1977) and Roadwork (1981). The Bachman Books is no longer sold today because Rage, a novel about a school shooting, is permanently out of print. The Running Man, The Long Walk, and Roadwork have remained in print in trade and mass market paperback, but it’s awesome that two of The Bachman Books are finally available in hardcover.
$29
Technically, this isn’t the first standalone hardcover edition of The Long Walk. In 2023, Centipede Press published The Long Walk in hardcover but with a very small print run. Unsurprisingly, this limited edition is expensive on the reseller market.
The new edition uses cover art from the ’90s–the same artwork that’s on the trade paperback edition. A movie tie-in edition released in trade paperback in September, but considering many readers dislike movie posters on book covers, it’s a relief the hardcover edition uses traditional artwork instead.
The Long Walk is a piece of dystopian horror fiction. One of King’s shorter novels, the 320-page story has a straightforward elevator pitch: 100 young men compete to see who can walk the furthest. Only one contestant leaves The Long Walk alive. It’s a fast-paced and compelling story with a great group of protagonists and some truly loathsome villains. Major, the leader of the police force officiating the contest, is played brilliantly by Mark Hamill in the highly rated film adaptation.
If you love Stephen King novels and haven’t read The Long Walk, I’d highly recommend it. Not only is it a fun read, but it’s also the first novel the author wrote. Five of his novels reached bookstores before The Long Walk, but he wrote this dystopian tale before Carrie, ‘Salem’s Lot, The Shining, The Stand, and Rage.
The Long Walk Editions:
$29
King’s 1982 novel The Running Man is also a dystopian tale centered on a contest. While The Long Walk leans into psychological horror, The Running Man is more of an action-thriller. At the time of its publication, The Running Man depicted the United States 35 years in the future. The near-future dystopia of 2017 is now the recent past, but the story still works regardless.
The government controls virtually all aspects of life in this version of the United States, from access to information to entertainment. Like The Long Walk, book’s title is the name of the contest. The Running Man is a reality TV series in which prisoners are forced to be hunted to death on live TV. If they survive for 30 days, they win their freedom and $1 billion. When Captain Ben Richards becomes the latest contestant, the failure rate sits at 100%.
The hardcover edition of The Running Man is 352 pages. The novel is much different from the great 1987 adaptation starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The upcoming adaptation starring Glen Powell is expected to be more faithful to King’s novel, according to director Edgar Wright.
The Running Man’s hardcover edition also uses an older cover instead of a movie poster. The regular trade paperback edition with the same cover is available for $13.48 (was $19). A movie tie-in paperback edition with Glen Powell’s face on the cover releases November 4 for $20.
The Running Man Editions:
The Long Walk & The Running Man Adaptations
If you haven’t preordered The Long Walk on 4K Blu-ray, it’s a great time to reserve a copy. Amazon has an exclusive Limited Edition Steelbook, and it’s discounted to only $26.83 (was $35). A release date hasn’t been set, but this is the only 4K Blu-ray edition (at this time) and is cheaper than the standard Blu-ray version at the moment. The steelbook case features Mark Hamill’s character, and the artwork changes when you remove the transparent slipcover.
The 2025 adaptation of The Running Man will likely be available to preorder on November 14, the day it premieres in theaters. The 1987 adaptation received a great 4K Blu-ray restoration in 2022. You can get the standard 4K Blu-ray edition with a slipcover for $20 or the Limited Edition Steelbook for $40.
The Running Man (1987):
Along with the original four Bachman Books and Thinner, King has reprised his the alias in 1996 with The Regulators, a novel that takes place in a parallel universe with Desperation. This pair of sci-fi novels were published simultaneously and are meant to be read together. The less you know going in, the better, but I’d recommend reading Desperation before The Regulators.
King’s most recent Bachman novel was 2007’s Blaze. King wrote the original manuscript for Blaze back in the 1970s. It could have been his second published novel, but his publisher opted to go with ‘Salem’s Lot instead. That was certainly a good decision, as ‘Salem’s Lot is a classic in the vampire horror genre. Blaze is a short crime novel that is worth a read, but it’s not as good as King’s recent crime fiction.
Five of the six in-print Bachman novels now have hardcover editions. As mentioned, Roadwork is still in print but has yet to receive a standalone hardcover release. Rage, meanwhile, will only ever be available in old editions of The Bachman Books collection–and those can be quite expensive. Hardcover editions of Thinner, The Regulators, and Blaze are no longer in print, but they can be found for reasonable prices pretty easily.
Richard Bachman Hardcover Novels
Richard Bachman Paperback Novels
Trade paperback editions of the Bachman novels are available for low prices at Amazon. There’s also a 2012 UK edition of The Bachman Books with The Long Walk, Roadwork, and The Running Man for around $25.
If you’re interested in collecting more hardcover editions of Stephen King’s novels and short story collections, check out the Amazon hub we created featuring dozens of King novels in hardcover. While many of King’s books are only available from resellers in hardcover these days, a bunch of the author’s best novels are still being printed in hardcover decades after their original publication dates.
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