The Long Walk
A strong entry point and a representative example of Bachman's early dystopian suspense fiction.
Author guide
Richard Bachman Books in Order
Richard Bachman was a pseudonymous author identity created and used by Stephen King. Bachman's first five novels were published between 1977 and 1984, before King's authorship of the pseudonym was exposed in 1985. Two earlier manuscripts later appeared as Bachman novels: The Regulators in 1996 and Blaze in 2007. The Bachman Books, an omnibus of four earlier novels, is excluded as a later repackaging.
horrorthrillerscience fictioncrime fictionpsychological fiction
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (7)
- Rage
novel · 1977
A disturbed high-school student with authority problems kills one of his teachers and takes the rest of his class hostage. Over the course of one long, tense and unbearable hot afternoon, Charlie Decker explains what led him to this…
- The Long Walk
novel · 1979
In a dystopian near-future, America has fallen on hard times. Sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty is about to compete in the annual match of stamina and wits known as the Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour…
- Roadwork
novel · 1981
Barton Dawes’ unremarkable but comfortable existence suddenly takes a turn for the worst. Highway construction puts him out of work and simultaneously forces him out of his home. Dawes isn’t the sort of man who will take an insult of this…
- The Running Man
novel · 1982
In the year 2025, the best men don't run for president, they run for their lives... Ben Richards is out of work and out of luck. His eighteen-month-old daughter is sick, and neither Ben nor his wife can afford to take her to a doctor. For…
- Thinner
novel · 1984
Thinner is a horror novel by American author Stephen King, published in 1984 by NAL under King's pseudonym Richard Bachman. The story centers on lawyer Billy Halleck, who kills a crossing Romani woman in a road accident and escapes legal…
- The Regulators
novel · 1996
The Regulators is a novel by American author Stephen King, writing under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was published in 1996 at the same time as its "mirror" novel, Desperation. The two novels represent parallel universes relative to…
- Blaze
novel · 2007
He's got a plan. But he hasn't got a clue. Clayton Blaisdell's capers are strictly small-time until he meets George Rackley. With Blaze's brawn and George's brains, they pull off a hundred successful cons. Then George plans the one big…
Frequently asked questions about Richard Bachman
Is Richard Bachman a real person or a pseudonym?
Richard Bachman was a pen name used by Stephen King, not a separate novelist. Bachman was a literary identity King created for publishing fiction under another name.
Sources: stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)simonandschuster.com (opens in a new tab)
Why did Stephen King write under the name Richard Bachman?
King said early publishing conventions suggested readers would accept only one book per author each year. Using another name allowed him to publish additional work and let it find an audience apart from the Stephen King brand.
Sources: stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)washingtonpost.com (opens in a new tab)
How was Richard Bachman's identity discovered?
Steve Brown noticed similarities between Bachman's writing and King's, then checked Library of Congress copyright records that connected Bachman to King's agent and listed King on an early Bachman work. Brown contacted King, who acknowledged the pseudonym in 1985.
Where did the name Richard Bachman come from?
King took “Richard” from crime novelist Donald Westlake's pseudonym Richard Stark and “Bachman” from the rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive, which was playing when he needed to choose a name.
What is Richard Bachman's literary legacy?
Bachman remains a durable second authorial identity within Stephen King's career. The persona is especially associated with grimmer, more despairing fiction and with King's experiment in separating a work from an established author brand.
Sources: stephenking.com (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)