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From: twmalaher@watale.UUCP
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Is _The Running Man_ Cyberpunk?
Message-ID: <2854@watale.waterloo.edu>
Date: Tue, 27-Oct-87 12:31:20 EST
Article-I.D.: watale.2854
Posted: Tue Oct 27 12:31:20 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Oct-87 21:12:27 EST
Reply-To: twmalaher@watale.UUCP (Tom Malaher)
Distribution: alt
Organization: Automation Lab, U of Waterloo Mech Eng, Ont, Can
Lines: 29
Keywords: Running Man, Stephen King, Richard Bachman
Summary: The Running Man seems to fit a relaxed definition of cyberpunk

Just to stir up the discussion some more...

If Blade Runner(*) and (the late) Max Headroom are both Cyberpunk, and I
think they are, then I think that the following is also classifiable as
such:

_The Running Man_ by Stephen King (alias: Richard Bachman)

It has some of the right elements:
- a high tech background (somewhat)
- a TechnoElite class
- the opressed masses (kept happy (?) with Video Broadcasts)
- a rather pessimistic view of the future

What other elements go into making something into cyberpunk?

I refuse to get into a discussion of whether Arnold ("you shouldn't
drink and bake") Schwarzenegger will do justice to this role...

--- 
(*) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep: Sorry, haven't read the book,
    so I can't comment, but the movie had the right *feel*.
------
Tom Malaher - `fortune | jive > .disclaimer`

twmalaher@watale.Waterloo.edu             Department of Mechanical Engineering
twmalaher%watale@waterloo.CSNET                         University of Waterloo
twmalaher%watale%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.ARPA                  Waterloo, ON
{allegra,decvax,ihnp4,utzoo}!watmath!watale!twmalaher                  N2L 3G1