"The Running Man" is a

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

writer

Bill Pronzini Bill Pronzini (born April 13, 1943) is an American writer of detective fiction. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories. Pronzini is ...

. The story was originally published in ''

Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine ''Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine'' (AHMM) is a bi-monthly digest size fiction magazine specializing in crime and detective fiction. ''AHMM'' is named for Alfred Hitchcock, the famed director of suspense films and television. History ''AHM ...

'' in January 1968. It was later published again in the Fall-Winter 1979 edition of '' Alfred Hitchcock's Anthology - Volume 5''. Its original

copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...

belongs to H.S.D. Publications Inc.

Plot

The story takes place at a

diner A diner is a small, inexpensive restaurant found across the United States, as well as in Canada and parts of Western Europe. Diners offer a wide range of foods, mostly American cuisine, a casual atmosphere, and, characteristically, a com ...

in the warm

deserts A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. The protagonist, Jack, walks through the desert thinking about his love, Karen. He arrives at a diner in which the cook and his daughter, the waitress, were alone. Later on, after Jack gets his food, two well-dressed men, Frank and Earl, come into the diner. Unexpectedly, the two men pull out guns, not to rob the place but to quiet the people and prepare them for what is about to happen. They explain that there would shortly be a man coming to the diner, to find a car that will take him to his destination but the car will not be there. Frank and Earl will be instead.

References

1968 short stories Mystery short stories Works originally published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine {{1960s-mystery-story-stub