Stephen Edwin King is the master of horror and one of the most prolific American fiction writers. But while Stephen King fans know him for his gritty works, others know him for his fantasy stories, like the book series The Dark Tower.
Biography of Stephen King
Born in Maine in 1947, King went on to attend Durham Elementary School and graduated from Lisbon Falls High School in 1966. King started writing early at the University of Maine at Orono for the local school paper, The Maine Campus.
A young political activist and opponent of the Vietnam War, King got his bachelor’s degree in English in 1970. He spent a few years teaching at Hampden Academy, before taking up writing full-time.
Carrie, The Shining, and the Stand are three of his first and most recognizable works.
He received the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the American Letters and the 2014 National Medal of Arts. Likewise, he spend many weeks as a bestselling author.
Moreover, King’s books have many television series and movie adaptations. IT, The Stand, Carrie, The Dark Tower, and Gerald’s Game are only a few. And King’s work even inspired other writers and screenwriters to follow in his footsteps with hit TV shows like Netflix’s Midnight Mass.
A review of The Dark Tower
Often referred to as Stephen King’s magnum opus, The Dark Tower series or Gunslinger novels are among the author’s most intricate stories. It consists of seven novels and two additional long narratives intertwined with the primary story.
The series introduces readers to Roland Deschain. He’s the last of his kind, a gunslinger, heir of Arthur Eld. Eld is the counterpart of King Arthur of Camelot in Roland’s world.
Although similar, Roland’s world is different than ours. It has magic, advanced technology, demons, and the Man in Black. The main antagonist seeks the Dark Tower. It’s a place where magic and technology collide to serve as a linchpin of reality, connecting all the realms described in the series.
But something isn’t right with the tower. It starts to affect multiple realities and sends Roland on a long journey through worlds unfamiliar to him.
Roland’s adventures see him joined by fellow travelers, particularly from Earth. Jake Chambers, Eddie Dean, and Odetta Holmes all join Roland from different timelines.
Odetta is one of the most interesting characters due to her multiple personalities, like Detta Walker and Susannah Dean.
But despite that, the Hollywood version of the Dark Tower movie by Mike Flanagan, starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, focused on the Roland Jake duo as they try to stop the Man in Black, or Walter.
The Gunslinger series is a sci-fi epic western, long overdue for a faithful TV series adaptation. Until that happens, you have plenty of Stephen King books to read and audiobooks to consume in the series.
The Gunslinger
King’s first book in the series gives readers a blunt introduction to Roland, the last gunslinger. While it has a simple premise, the storytelling does a great job of pulling readers down the rabbit hole.
Roland is ruthless, enigmatic, yet sympathetic. And together with Jake, he fights against mutants and demons, trying to prevent the Man in Black from achieving his goals.
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
The second book picks up minutes after the ending of the first one. Roland evades death and encounters three free-standing doors. They read The Prisoner, The Lady of Shadows, and Death.
Each inscription references another character who will join Roland on his quest. Thus, the gunslinger draws from other worlds into his Mid-World to continue his journey. King’s metaphysical presentation of three separate periods in New York is what makes the story engaging and compelling.
The Waste Lands
This is the first book that goes deeper into Mid-World, Roland’s home world. King continues Roland’s character development and follows Eddie and Susannah as they become gunslingers.
But most importantly, the author builds on the Dark Tower narrative and fleshes out the gunslinger’s world. Lud is an interesting location, similar to New York, yet with an undeniable post-apocalyptic feel.
The book also introduces readers to the metafictional King universe by presenting a brief crossover with The Stand.
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
The fourth book in The Gunslinger novels follows Roland’s affair with Susan Delgado. It’s King’s version of Romeo and Juliet and a fitting narrative for Roland’s character.
But the book also explains Roland’s obsession with the Dark Tower and his willingness to sacrifice everything to achieve his goals.
Wolves of the Calla
Roland assists a town, Calla Bryn Sturgis, from child-snatching werewolves. Together with his ka-tet, Roland meets Father Callahan. Again, this is a crossover with another King novel, Salem’s Lot. This time, the author goes to even greater lengths to establish a grander universe for the Gunslinger novels.
Likewise, King reveals more of Mid-World and depicts how some people still live their lives, mostly unaware, of the epic battle of good vs. evil, with Roland at the center.
Song of Susannah
The sixth book starts moments after the sixth novel. Roland and his gang encounter the Black Thirteen, a magical orb created by Merlyn. But as they draw closer to the Tower, Mia possesses Susannah and ruins their plans.
A version of King himself makes an appearance in the story. It’s the author’s choice to double down on the metafictional series and use multiple narrative styles in The Dark Tower series.
The Dark Tower
Readers get to know the Breakers, or the powerful psychics working to erode the Beams and shatter reality. In the final book, Roland also encounters his son Mordred and the Crimson King.
The story ties many loose ends, although it rushes to bring the series to a conclusion. With that said, it establishes King’s love for metafictional narratives and builds characters and plots across epic sagas.
Listen to the entire The Dark Tower series on Speechify Audiobooks
The Dark Tower series offers tons of reading material. But not everyone has enough time to go through it. Fortunately, you can listen to Stephen King audiobooks on the Speechify Audiobook service.
Its extensive media library with over 60,000 titles has The Dark Tower novels and many other of King’s works ready for playback. You can listen to the main novels, explore the King metafictional universe, and enjoy a tale for the ages.
Even better, your first Speechify audiobook is free when you join. Try Speechify today and immerse yourself into one of the most epic fantasy tales ever written.
Until another Dark Tower adaptation gets an Amazon release date, King’s audiobooks are great alternatives.
FAQ
Is The Dark Tower connected to The Shining?
There are numerous references to The Shinning in The Dark Tower series. They include mentions of Danny Torrance, his father, and psychic powers being called “The Shine.”
Is The Dark Tower related to Pennywise?
Pennywise is one of the many background antagonists in the Gunslinger series.
How many Stephen King books are connected to The Dark Tower?
There are at least six short stories, novellas, and novels connected to the Gunslinger series: The Little Sisters of Eluria, The Wind Through the Keyhole, The Stand, IT, and Salem’s Lot.
Is The Dark Tower considered a horror novel?
The Dark Tower incorporates horror elements but isn’t a horror series, at least not by Stephen King standards. It mostly contains fantasy, science fiction, and Western themes and plots.
Is The Dark Tower inappropriate?
The book series isn’t inappropriate and even has a young boy as the main character. However, it might not be suitable reading material for younger readers due to its violent plots and gritty atmosphere.
