The Long Walk
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This article concerns the novel by Stephen King. For the phenomenon seen in Judge Dredd comics, see The Long Walk (Judge Dredd).
The Long Walk is a novel by Stephen King published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was included in King's collection The Bachman Books after King revealed to the public that he was Richard Bachman. Set in an alternate history, it revolves around the contestants of a horrific walking contest held annually by the somewhat despotic, totalitarian government of the United States of America.
One hundred teenage boys (picked at random from a large pool of applicants) are chosen to participate in an annual walking contest. Each boy must maintain a continuous four mile per hour pace, or receive a warning. After receiving three such warnings within a three hour period, a walker who again falls below the required speed is "eliminated" from the contest by being mercilessly gunned down by the armed guards overseeing the event.
There are no stops, no rest periods, no finish line, the race ends when only one walker remains, who earns the ultimate grand prize: anything he wants for the rest of his life. Each year's contest results in one winner and ninety-nine dead losers. The Walk begins every year at the Maine-Canada border and continues down the east coast of the US until the winner is found. The story mentions that it's a rare event for the Walk to finish outside Maine.
What makes the novel rather gruesome (and gripping storytelling) is King's exploration of the slow-paced race to the death. He relishes the "walkers'" psychological breakdown with great detail, as they push themselves to the limit of human endurance and test their will to live.
The story delves into several themes, particularly the survival mentality, and mental and physical exhaustion. The Hands on a Hardbody contest held annually in Texas (and the movie by the same name) explore similar ideas.
This story was one of the inspirations for the Japanese film Battle Royale.
ISBN numbers
- ISBN 0606169245 (prebound, 1999)
- ISBN 0451196716 (mass market paperback, 1999)de:The Long Walk