The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

[Tar-Steve]

I started this thread because
A: It came up in the "Favorite Series not by Tolkien" thread.
B: A seperate conversation came up about it.
C: Grond gave it the boot out of the thread :D
D: I didn't want the conversation to go to PMs.
E: I love the series and can't wait for the next one.

So, start talking ... now!

I picked up "The Gunslinger" when it first came out and I've been totally hooked every since. The last book (Wizard and Glass) was incredible. Roland story of this youth and lost love was one of the most gripping things I've ever read. I hadn't been sucked into a story so hard since I read Frank Herbert's "Soul Catcher".

I did notice, especially in the last book, he started throwing around a lot of character links to his other stories. The only other SK I've read is "The Stand". Do we have any heavy SK readers that can identify most of them (the links). My younger brother thinks he's going to link every one of his other books into Roland's world.

I said to start talking! We'll ... I meant typing.

[Luna]

I was quite saddened to see the DT conversation end! Thanks for starting it again! I am a HUGE fan of SK...in fact I received my two signed books from Stephen King TODAY and was so excited I jumped all over the house like a big fool! One of those books was Wizard & Glass, my favorite (so far) of the DT series, because it talks about Roland's youth and who he was before he was so hardened by his quest. I have all but maybe 3 of King's books and many of them are connected to each other. I loved The Stand and IT but the DT series are my favorite, and I have read the series is "King's 'Jupiter'" which you could say might be 'King's LOTR' as it were, in terms of scope and depth of characters, and connections. Can you see I love this subject?
Not to offend the fans of Tolkien----I LOVE LOTR---but it is rare for me to meet a fellow SK fan, let alone someone who actually READS and doesn't lazily "wait for the movie". I hope this thread continues!

[aemmett]

Stephen King has to be the KING OF HORROR, closely followed by Dean Koontz. However, I have not read The Dark Tower series because I didn't feel that SK would be as good at fantasy as he is at horror. After reading your various comments I think I should buy the books and be a little more open minded and not make assumptions. The Stand is my all time favourite SK novel but I was disappointed with the film version. I suppose that's the price you have to pay when you prefer to read before seeing the movie.

[Luna]

Hello, glad to meet a fellow SK fan! I really hope you will go and read the Dark Tower series, especially if you are a true fan....these are books not to be missed! And I agree with you that King is the horror master, but if you have noticed there are books that aren't really "horror" in the true sense of the word, i.e. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Bag of Bones, The Eyes of The Dragon, etc. Of course they all carry the element of horror, as does the Dark Tower. So please read them, I'd love to hear your thoughts after you do!
By the way, I too count The Stand as one of my favorite books, and was also disappointed with the film...but it wasn't as bad as, say, "IT". I think The Green Mile is the best film adaption of King's books. Although I did like the guy who played Tom Cullen.
M-O-O-N! That spells Tom!
hehe

[Tar-Steve]

aemmett,

The Stand is also one of my favorite books but that's not what I came here to say. I came her to say that if you like SK and you like TLOTR, and you like what most people seem to be referring to as fantasy*, you have to read The Dark Tower books. They're great!

And welcome to the forum!


*Not trying to start an argument or thread turn but you'll never hear me referring to any JRRT writings as "fantasy".

[orion]

Hail to all King fans!

[aemmett]

Tar_Steve

Thank you for welcoming me. Also happy birthday

[DGoeij]

Thanks to an afternoon off. Else I never would have stumbled on this one. I'm a fan of the Dark Tower series. How pissed off I was after the third book. Where was the fourth?!
And of course afther the wizards glass, I'm waiting for number five.
It is so cool to reread some of the other novels by King, to find out how much of the Dark Tower is hidden in them and vice versa. The riddle game with Blain is great too, Why did the dead baby crossed the road????:D

[Luna]

Why did the dead baby crossed the road????

Because it was stapled to the chicken! LOL.....hail and well met, fellow DT fan! Have you been to the Official Stephen King website? Because there you will find a prologue to DT5, as well as info on when the next books are coming out. It has been a long wait, hasn't it? At least there are things to keep us entertained until then, with Black House (wonderful little Dark Tower hints in there too) and the upcoming TV miniseries, "Rose Red". Long live the King! :D

[DGoeij]

Sounds great, thanks. Is that simply www.stephenking.com ? I'll try for myself anyway.

Whats the difference between a truck-load of groundhogs and a truck-load of bowling balls?
(to my shame I only have the dutch versions, financial restraints keep me from purchasing the original English)

[Moonbeams]

I'm a great fan of Steven King. I think I have every book he ever wrote. He is a wonderful writer. Each of his books has a totaly different topic than the other, he wrote about everything, from UFO's to ghosts. Favorite books written by him... well... The Stand, and Talisman, the one he wrote with peter Straub. Now, That's one great book. I must have read it 10 times.

But somehow I find his Dark Tower series quite boring. I admit I only read the first one. And had a very big lack of interest when reading it. Maybe I'll try again, to see what you all found interesting in them. So, what is so interesting in the Dark Tower? Does it get better as you go on to the second book?

[DGoeij]

It does, IMHO, it really does get better when the serie progresses. The interesting part of it is that somehow the Dark Tower series contains a lot of references to other novels by King, and vice versa. I'd say, give them another try.

[Luna]

Whats the difference between a truck-load of groundhogs and a truck-load of bowling balls?
heheh, in my book it goes, "what's the difference between a truckload of bowling balls and a truckload of dead woodchucks?"
the answer being "you can't unload a truck load of bowling balls with a pitchfork!" hehe..pretty gross riddle, eh?
Hello Moonbeams....well I wanted to try to answer your question about what is so great about the Dark Tower...and suggest you give it another try. I was hooked from the first line, "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."
These books are wonderful because the story is great...How the Dark Tower, the 'nexus of all possible worlds' is falling, and the quest of a gunslinger to save it, and in doing so save all the worlds connected to it. The gunslinger character is particularly interesting, being a "kind of knight" whose descendent line goes back to Arthur. There is so much detail, so much going on in these books..you are drawn into that world.
Then you find there are pieces of the Dark Tower story in many of King's books so that they are all connected, just as all worlds are connected by special doors in the Gunslinger's world.
These are my favorite books, can you tell? And if you like the others you'll have to read this series. And yes, the story is more interesting with each book...the fourth is the best in my opinion.

[DGoeij]

I forgot about the dead part, but........ woodchucks? I'm learning by the hour here on this forum.

The Gunslinger was supposed to protect the Dark Tower? I always thought it was a bad thing. Anyway, after Hearts in Atlantis I was in doubt again, and now Luna only makes it worse. Thanks a lot! ;)

Greenwood, Luna states it better than I did, IMHO the serie is worth another try.

(STORY SPOILER)

Here's one of the riddles that makes sense in Dutch, but I'm unable to see the English equivelant:

literlally translated, it would be: When is a guy not a guy?
It's the second one Eddie asks Blain, the one that costs Blaine some effort again. After the one, What has four wheels and flies?

[Moonbeams]

Luna,
I read "Hearts in Atlantis" a while ago, and the guy, Ted, he was from Dark Tower, right?
His power was realy interesting, and the fact that those awful monsters dragged him back... I actualy had a dream about it.
I think I'll get the second book, and give them another go. He is, after all, one of my favorite writers (not only because he loves Tolkien too, he he), and somehow, I can't imagine him writing a bad book.

[Luna]

Well I'm not sure which riddle the "when is a guy not a guy" is...though it seems familiar. I'd have to look through DT4 to see for sure but...I'm lazy today, hehe. The other? What has four wheels and flies? I believe that's the town garbage wagon? ;)
And I don't really think it is the gunslinger's job to protect the Tower, he has to fix it somehow, because it is ailing and causing the ruination of all the worlds along the paths of the beams. If that makes sense, haha. It is a complicated story with so much detail involved, and like Moonbeams said, he loved Tolkien too. The DT series is King's LOTR.
Moonbeams..yes Ted was from the Tower (though I don't think he was quite human) but the Tower has many levels, not all of them good. The Crimson King lives on one of these and he is far from good. He is mentioned in "Black House" and "Insomnia" (at least 2 where I know he's mentioned, that I can think of offhand) and still I am not 100% sure what role the Crimson King (or Ted Brautigan) play concerning the Tower. There is so much..."low men in yellow coats" for instance, it takes a lot of thought to piece them altogether.
Still, I think you should read the series, I think the more you read the more you'll like. My personal favorite is Wizard & Glass and I've read it too many times to count. Try 'em, you'll like em!

And remember: All things serve the beam! :D

[DGoeij]

Thankie-sai honorable Luna **taps his throath three times** you have given the correct answer.:D

Interesting viewpoints. Darn, I can't wait till the fifth episode hits the stores.:(

[Tar-Steve]

HEY!! I'm so psyched my thread finally took off. It kind of just sat there for a while at first.

Moonbeams, read "The Drawing ....", you should be totally hooked by its end and the books keep getting better.

I have to read more of SK's other books, I'm definately missing out on some DT content there.

Between the SK and the HoME I've got this huge backlog of things to read. Cool, I guess.

Thanks for posting here!!!!!!! :D :D

[Luna]

DGoeij...I can't wait for the fifth book either, and it has been a long wait! King has said that the last books in the series would all be released at once! And that will be in a couple years. At least, according to the Official Stephen King Website. Have you read the DT5 prologue on that site? It kind of speaks to the "thunderclap" thing, and starts a whole new dimension for the gunslingers to experience on their quest to the Tower.

[DGoeij]

I saw it, I need to print it out, way to long to read on a screen. Considering the length of my 'to do' list, I'll get back to you.

[Luna]

Let me know what you think when you read it. :)

[DGoeij]

Luna, you should never had told me of that prologue. Now I'm completely in the story again, and I have to stop and wait. Grrrr.
Maybe I can begin in Salem's lot again, because it is mentioned and I forgot to much of it to get the point.

Just when the excitement grows, the darn prologue comes to an end. Not that there's nothing to read for me, but marxism can get pretty boring.

oh well, patience is a virtue (did the saying went like that??)

all things serve the beam :p

What I did think of it? Pretty interesting, the cool way things start to explain themselves when you progress into the story, I always enjoy that kind of writing when it's done in a good way. Besides that. It all sounds so familiar, they mention Gilead, mutants, ancient robots. Its the world I left when I finished Wizards Glass.

[Tar-Steve]

Luna, I loved that prologue. Thanks for mentioning it. Like DGoeij, I just got sucked back into the story big time.

I've got so much Tolkien I want to read. Now I want to re-read DT I-IV, plust the SK stuff that links to it, AHHHHHH! (Never mind the stuff I'm "supposed" to be doing).

Maybe you guys can help me out ... Do you know if anyone has inventoried the links from the DT saga to SK other books? Maybe on a SK forum somewhere? If I had something like that, at least I'd know where to concentrate my SK choices.

Thanks again Luna ... reading that was SO COOL!!!!!!!!

[Mormegil]

Tar-Steve: I just found this thread and I love it! It was an excellent thread to start.

I am a huge DT fan.
SK and JRRT are my favourite authors of all time.

Anyway, I've read DT1,2,3 and 4. I've also read the prologue to DT5. It seems like it's gonna be the best of the series.

My favourite of the series so far was DT2, 'The Drawing of the Three'. I just loved the way that Roland found our world so strange, and the fact that he compared fat lazy american cops to the gunslingers of his world.


As for links in other books,
'The Eyes of The Dragon', Isn't it strange that the evil wizard is called Flagg, just like the one in DT. Are they one and the same??

'Hearts in Atlantis', The whole Ted Brautigan, low men In yellow coats, Crimson King thing.

I don't think i've come across any other links that i'm aware of. But i do have a few more SK books to read.

One other thing though, Did any one find the bear in 'The girl who Loved Tom Gordon' strangely reminiscent of the mechanical bear in DT3?

Would you look at me, i'm babbling. But it is just so cool to have found such a great thread.

[Luna]

You're both welcome for the prologue hint...but it's such a tease, lol!
Dgoeij read Salems Lot it is wonderful.
Tar-Steve, I haven't heard if anyone has inventoried the links, but it is interesting isn't it? After all I have a Stephen King Encyclopedia on my shelf, why not an encyclopedia on the links between books? DT is not the only one...for example Gerald's Game and Dolores Claiborne have a link. Or the way certain characters show up in other stories. It is the wonderful world he weaves...connected. There are many references to the Tower, or to Randall Flagg (and his many guises) in many of the books. The Eyes of the Dragon being one, Mormegil. (by the way, welcome!!:) ) It is what is so cool about the Tower.....because the Tower itself is the center of all the worlds...there are doorways between each, even twins of people..parallel lives....so that connections can be made. Wonderful!!
By the way, is anyone going to watch Stephen King's Rose Red Miniseries on Jan 27th? I can't wait...SK in any form is awesome! :D

[Tar-Steve]

I got some links!

Theres a webring site with links to lots of DT sites:
http://e.webring.com/hub?ring=thedarktower


This is the only link I followed so far but it's EXTREMELY comprehensive, well done, and up to date. I haven't gotten through half of it but I'm having a ball:

http://www.darktowercompendium.com/

[Luna]

I know where I'm headed when I leave the Forum! Thanks, Tar-Steve!:D

[Luna]

Sk's first short story collection since "Nightmares and Dreamscapes".....this one is called "Everything's Eventual"

I shall not rest til I find it

hehe

[Mormegil]

Help guys!!

I just found out that theres a DT story called 'The Little Sisters of Eluria'. Does anyone know where I can get my hands on a copy of it, cos I would love to read it.
What's it about and whre does it fit in with the other books?

I can't believe I only just found out about this story. When was it written??

[DGoeij]

Thanks for the links, now only if you could lend me some time to browse them.;)

[Lorien]

yay.!!!!gald i found this thread.....
King's great......i loved Desperation......TAK!
and IT and the Stand.....i've only read the 1st 2 books of the DT series

[Luna]

SK fans should tune in tonight to ABC..."Stephen King's Rose Red" miniseries starts tonight...I know I'll be watching woohoo! Can't wait...I read an article he wrote in TV Guide where he said he almost had a collaberation with Steven Spielberg, but it never came to be. Too bad, eh? Watch the show tonight!
:)

[Luna]

By the way......welcome to the thread, Lorien! It's always cool to meet new fans of Stephen King. :D

[Luna]

Mormegil, the Little Sisters of Eluria (sp?) is a story in the new book "Everything's Eventual"

[DGoeij]

I'm not happy. The transatlantic cable is not sending ABC into my livingroom. Too bad. I'll have to wait until the serie is broadcasted by dutch television. By then Stephen King will have finished the entire story I gues.:(

[Luna]

Better late than never! :D
I am still waiting for SK's cameo apearance on Rose Red. :)

You know what I think? Pretty good show so far but I'd really rather be reading the book. Know what I mean? The book is always going to be better. ;)
Of course, any Stephen King is good. lol

[CyberGhostface]

The DT series was great...I hear he is trying to do the final three books at once, so we wont have to wait as long.

[KENSHIN]

Originally posted by Lorien
yay.!!!!gald i found this thread.....
King's great......i loved Desperation......TAK!


OH my god!!!!1
I loved Desesperation too...
And DreamCatcher...
Now i´m reading "the gunslinger"
I´ve already read it, bus i get the DT 2,3 and 4 and i want to start from the begining...
I love Sthephen King...
One of my favourite book of him is : THE LONG WALK
It's amazing!!!!!!
I'm so glad i found this thread...
Here i am, a fanatic of stephen king

[Luna]

Welcome, Kenshin! So nice to meet another fan....it's been a while since anyone posted on this thread, but I am always up for talk on Stephen King! You should read "Everything's Eventual" a book of short stories...one in particular I mentioned before, "The Little Sisters of Eluria" with Roland, our favorite gunslinger! :)

[DGoeij]

Cool to see this one coming back to life again, maybe we should start a more 'general' Stephen King thread?

[Luna]

Brilliant idea, DGoeij! I am always happy to talk about Stephen King.
:)

[DGoeij]

Consider it done:
http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4224

Meet you there!

[Ithrynluin]

Hail all King fans!:)
I haven't read that many of his books so far : It,The Shining, Dreamcatcher.

I think that It is truly a masterpiece.It is my second favourite book of all times (#1:All works of Tolkien).He's great - I'm looking forward to reading more books by him.
P.S.:Dean Koontz is also amazing!