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[Veidt]

-THE DARK TOWER-

"The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed"

We don't have a Dark Tower thread?
I've been googling for ages now, can't seem to find a thread dedicated to it.
That's a surprise, because a fair precentage of the people here have read it. And looking at how huge the thread for Song of Ice and Fire is, it might be interesting to see if we can get other people to notice this series. Even me myself, I haven't read that much and would consider myself an ultra newbie in terms of how much I'm vested in it. But greatness oozes out of this series and there will surely be others who'll love it too and probably even more.

What is The Dark Tower?

The Dark Tower is a series of seven books written by American author Stephen King between 1970 and 2004. The series incorporates themes from multiple genres, including fantasy fiction, science fantasy, horror and western elements. They describe a gunslinger's quest toward a tower whose nature the books call both physical and metaphorical. King has described the series as his magnum opus. Besides the seven novels that compose the series proper, many of his other books relate to the story, introducing concepts and characters that come into play as the series progresses. After the series was finished, a series of prequel comics followed.

The series was chiefly inspired by the poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" by Robert Browning, whose full text was included in the final volume's appendix. In the preface to the revised 2003 edition of The Gunslinger, King also identifies The Lord of the Rings, Arthurian Legend, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as inspirations. He identifies Clint Eastwood's "Man with No Name" character as one of the major inspirations for the protagonist, Roland Deschain. King's style of location names in the series, such as Mid-World, and his development of a unique language abstract to our own (High Speech), are also influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien's work.

What's it about?

In the story, Roland is the last living member of a knightly order known as gunslingers and the last of the line of "Arthur Eld", his world's analogue of King Arthur. The world he lives in is quite different from our own, yet it bears striking similarities to it. Politically organized along the lines of a feudal society, it shares technological and social characteristics with the American Old West but is also magical. While the magical aspects are largely gone from Mid-World, some vestiges of them remain, along with the relics of a highly advanced, but long vanished, society. Roland's quest is to find the Dark Tower, a fabled building said to be the nexus of all universes. Roland's world is said to have "moved on", and indeed it appears to be coming apart at the seams — mighty nations have been torn apart by war, entire cities and regions vanish without a trace and time does not flow in an orderly fashion. Even the Sun sometimes rises in the north and sets in the east. As the series opens, Roland's motives, goals and age are unclear, though later installments shed light on these mysteries.

For a detailed synopsis of the novels, see the relevant article for each book.

Along his journey to the Dark Tower, Roland meets a great number of both friends and enemies. For most of the way he is accompanied by a group of people who together with him form the Ka-tet of the Nineteen and Ninety-nine, consisting of Jake Chambers, Eddie and Susannah Dean, and Oy. Among his many enemies on the way are the man in black and The Crimson King.

King even created a language for these series, known as the High Speech. Examples of this language include the phrases Thankee, Sai ("Thank you, Sir/Ma'am.") and Dan-Tete ("Little Savior"). In addition King uses the term 'Ka' which is the approximate equivalent of destiny, or fate, in the fictional language High Speech (and similarly, 'Ka-tet,' a group of people bound together by fate/destiny). This term originated in Egyptian mythology and storytelling and has figured in several other novels and screenplays since 1976. It also appears in the short story, Hearts in Atlantis, in which Ted describes the meaning to Bobby.

Series:
1. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger (1982)
2. The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three (1987)
3. The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands (1991)
4. The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass (1997) - Locus Award nominee, 1998
5. The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla (2003) - Locus Award nominee, 2004
6. The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah (2004) - Locus Award nominee, 2005
7. The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower (2004) - British Fantasy Award winner, 2005

A prequel to the Dark Tower series, set around the time of the flashbacks in The Gunslinger and Wizard and Glass, has been released by Marvel Comics. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born is plotted by Robin Furth, scripted by Peter David, and illustrated by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove. The project is overseen by King. The first issue of this first arc was released on February 7, 2007. A hardcover volume containing all 7 issues was released on November 7, 2007.

The second arc in the Dark Tower comic series was released by Marvel Comics, and it is called The Long Road Home. The first issue was published on March 5, 2008. A hardcover volume containing all 5 issues was released on October 15, 2008.The third arc in the Dark Tower comic series was released by Marvel Comics, and it is called The Dark Tower: Treachery. The first issue of the six issue arc was published on September 10, 2008.Following the completion of the third arc a one-shot issue titled The Dark Tower: Sorcerer was released April 8, 2009. The story focuses on the history of the villainous wizard Marten Broadcloak.Marvel Comics has also published three supplemental books to date that expand upon characters and locations first introduced in the novels. The Dark Tower: Gunslingers' Guidebook was released in 2007, The Dark Tower: End-World Almanac was released in 2008, and The Dark Tower: Guide to Gilead was released in 2009. All three books were written by Anthony Flamini, with Furth serving as creative consultant. End-World Almanac and Guide to Gilead feature illustrations by David Yardin.

IGN Movies has reported that a film adaptation was in the works; whether it was for a movie or a television series still is unknown. J. J. Abrams, co-creator of the television show Lost, was supposedly attached to produce and direct.Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, who co-created the show Lost with J. J. Abrams, optioned the Dark Tower series from King for a reported nineteen dollars, a number that mysteriously recurs throughout the Dark Tower series of novels.According to issue #923 of Entertainment Weekly, King "is an ardent supporter of the desert-island show and trusts Abrams to translate his vision" into a film franchise with Lindelof being "the leading candidate to write the screenplay for the first installment." In a July 2009 interview with C21 Media, Lindelof revealed that he and Cuse had indeed optioned The Dark Tower's rights, but said he was wary about committing to such an ambitious project: "The idea of taking on something that massive again after having done six seasons of Lost is intimidating and slightly frightening, to say the least." King also reported that he had turned down long-time collaborator Frank Darabont, creator of such films as The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption, after he had asked to do the film.Roland as depicted in the opening credits of another Stephen King movie, The Mist.

Multiple mock trailers have appeared on YouTube. Also, the official Grand Prize winner of Simon & Schuster's (King's Publisher) American Gunslinger contest,"Roland Meets Brown", by Robert David Cochrane, can be found there.In King's 2007 film The Mist, the main character, David Drayton, can be seen painting a movie poster with Roland in the center, standing in front of a trans-dimensional Ghostwood door, with a rose and the dark tower to each side.In April 2009, both Abrams and Lindelof revealed that they would most likely begin adapting the series when Lost concludes in 2010.[18][19]In May 2009, rumours emerged that Christian Bale was the top contender to play Roland.In November 2009, Abrams stated that he would not be adapting the series. During an interview with MTV, Abrams made the following comments:"The Dark Tower thing is tricky. The truth is that Damon and I are not looking at that right now." Furthermore, in an interview with USA Today, Damon Lindelof stated that "After working six years on 'Lost,' the last thing I want to do is spend the next seven years adapting one of my favorite books of all time. I'm such a massive Stephen King fan that I'm terrified of screwing it up. I'd do anything to see those movies written by someone else. My guess is they will get made because they're so incredible. But not by me"

# Official website
# TheDarkTower.com (unofficial fansite)

 

[Axion22]

We have forgotten the faces of our fathers.

 

[gdt]

Sad that Damon and Carlton don't want to do this..they even had the rights for awhile (don't know if they still do)! Seems like they'd be perfect for it.

Still have to read these...

 

[commish]

I got thru... 3 or 4 of the books, then stopped. I'd love to start again... maybe I'll pick up the complete set and start from book 1. The problem is that a lot of ppl weren't fans of the later books, especially the final book, which is really hit or miss. The series is way too long for me to invest that amount of time into something that isn't worthwhile. Sure, I should read to form my own opinion, but I don't have a lot of time most days.

 

[mrbagdt]

I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.

 

[ChubbyHuggs]

I weep for you, Roland Deschain of Gilead, as you cross the door into oblivion once more.

Spoiler

A Journey of 1000 miles, it starts with one step.

Favorite Stephen King book/series. First book I read from Stephen King was Wizard in the Glass.

We have forgotten the faces of our fathers.

Cry your pardon?

 

[Veidt]

Sad that Damon and Carlton don't want to do this..they even had the rights for awhile (don't know if they still do)! Seems like they'd be perfect for it.

Still have to read these...

Yeah, a real damn shame. Damon Carlton + Abrams would have probably been the best adaptation we could hope for.

 

[Prince of Space]

Just started the series after numerous recommendations. A little over halfway thru Drawing of the Three now; loving it so far!

 

[Brannon]

As always must be said; when Stephen King tells you to stop reading the last book, STOP READING THE BOOK.

Seriously.

 

[ahoyhoy]

Looking to start this series sometime this year (probably over the summer). Haven't read Sci-Fi or Fantasy in a while so I'm kind of excited to get back in the game.

 

[otake]

There's a reason we don't have a thread.....


Have you finished the books? If you haven't just stop. Save yourself the pain. Otherwise, once you turn that last page you'll want to rip your eyes off Oedipus style.

 

[Dresden]

Series:
1. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger (1982)
2. The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three (1987)
3. The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands (1991)
4. The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass (1997) - Locus Award nominee, 1998
5. The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla (2003) - Locus Award nominee, 2004
6. The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah (2004) - Locus Award nominee, 2005
7. The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower (2004) - British Fantasy Award winner, 2005

My feelings on the novels:

1: So. Good. 8/10
2. My personal favorite. That scene where Eddie, going cold turkey and buck-naked, having a shootout... goddamn. 9/10
3. Creepiest of the novels, imo. The Waste Lands was absolutely fascinating. It's also the book where you truly see Roland's world. 8.5/10
4. Wizard and Glass... I know people love this book, but while I liked it, it felt a tad bit too long. Still good. 8/10
5. Wolves of the Calla is where it started going downhill. Bloated and uninteresting.5/10
6. Song of Susannah is the middle part of the latter trilogy--comprised of Wolves, Song, and The Dark Tower. Probably the best out of that bunch. 7/10
7. I don't know what to feel about The Dark Tower. The ending

Spoiler

was a let down in many ways, and also felt like a cop-out by King as he just tried to end the damn thing.

But I still liked it. It was all

Spoiler

so fucking futile and pointless, but maybe that was the point. The only hope that the reader can take from the ending is that there is always hope, and the chance--this time with Roland in possession of the horn--that the lesser being might prevail.

Did anyone else find Stephen King's self insertion amusing? Especially because it's clear that he made his alter ego weak and contemptible to dodge accusations of mary-sue-ism, yet he dumps in another character who's a wise dude that Roland likes living in New England who is also a diehard Red Sox fan--mary sue much?

 

[Axion22]

There's a reason we don't have a thread.....


Have you finished the books? If you haven't just stop. Save yourself the pain. Otherwise, once you turn that last page you'll want to rip your eyes off Oedipus style.

I liked the ending. I thought it was perfect.

 

[Chris R]

It seems that my local library never has a copy in when I try to go and check this out Pisses me off

 

[ChubbyHuggs]

It seems that my local library never has a copy in when I try to go and check this out Pisses me off

Dude, that sucks. Why not just go to a used book store and grab a copy. I am sure they have a few at least.

My whole collection of Stephen King books pretty much consist of what I got at a second hand book store and garage sales.

 

[Nameless]

Nice OP Jibril

Just realized it's been 4 years, pretty much to the month since I completed the series. I've been wanting to go through it again for a while, TDK easily being in my top 1 of all-time series. Actually, I tried last year but couldn't find my copy of Gunslinger so I started with Drawing. Doing so didn't seem right so I stopped and never got back to it.

And it really was a shame Darlto & Abrams bailed on Tower. Can't say blame them, though. The project is a daunting undertaking on all levels. I have no idea how you even adapt parts of it. And can you imagine the budget needed to really do TDK justice? Besides, now way Abrams would ever dedicate himself to a single project for 3-4+ years which is atleast what it would take to bring the story to the big screen.

 

[WanderingWind]

Overrated tripe. I can't believe people like this crap.

 

[Axion22]

And it really was a shame Darlto & Abrams bailed on Tower. Can't say blame them, though. The project is a daunting undertaking on all levels. I have no idea how you even adapt parts of it. And can you imagine the budget needed to really do TDK justice? Besides, now way Abrams would ever dedicate himself to a single project for 3-4+ years which is atleast what it would take to bring the story to the big screen.

This is why I would be fine if a movie was never made. They can just leave it alone and I'll be happy.

 

[Chris R]

Dude, that sucks. Why not just go to a used book store and grab a copy. I am sure they have a few at least.

My whole collection of Stephen King books pretty much consist of what I got at a second hand book store and garage sales.

I'm just too lazy to make it a point to travel across town to go to the only used book store worth visiting :lol

It isn't like I make a point to visit the library often either, I just go from time to time and it seems every time I'm there I stumble upon the huge selection of all things King and the first book in the series is nowhere to be found :lol

I guess I'll plan a trip later this week to head over to the used store and scope it out. MAKING A MENTAL REMINDER NOW

 

[MrOctober]

I just finished book 3 and I've heard at least 20 people tell me to stop after book 4. That only makes me want to read them all to see what's so bad about the ending.

 

[WanderingWind]

I just finished book 3 and I've heard at least 20 people tell me to stop after book 4. That only makes me want to read them all to see what's so bad about the ending.

The ending is fantastic. Unless you like happy endings in stories that have been utterly bleak and devoid of any positive emotions. Then you'd hate it.

 

[Axion22]

I just finished book 3 and I've heard at least 20 people tell me to stop after book 4. That only makes me want to read them all to see what's so bad about the ending.

I disliked 4 the most out of all of them. When I was reading (before the final 3 were written), I almost didn't finish.

 

[CloverCarr]

I think that the books went downhill when he resumed writing them after his accident. They were incredible up to and including Wizard & Glass, after that they got odd; all the references to the accident were never originally supposed to be part of the series, they ruined it in my opinion.

 

[daw840]

My wife LOVES Stephen King. Is there anywhere I can get this box set with all of the books? I saw Amazon has 1-5 in a box set, but I would really like to get the complete series.

 

[Feep]

Reading Wolves of the Calla for the first time now, so I'm going to stay the eff out of this thread, pretty much, but I did want to say that the graphic novels published by Marvel are super awesome and everyone should read them.

I'M OUT

 

[Nameless]

I just finished book 3 and I've heard at least 20 people tell me to stop after book 4. That only makes me want to read them all to see what's so bad about the ending.

Ehhh. Book 5 is a tad excessive. I still loved the meat of it. Book 6 is easily my least favorite but it's fine , especially if you're able to go right into the final book. I can totally understand the issues for those who had to wait between the two. Loved loved loved the final book. Some bitch because of the ending and of course there's always grievances when concluding anything. But don't let anyone tell you otherwise: As a whole Book 7 is fuckin epic.

 

[Veidt]

Reading Wolves of the Calla for the first time now, so I'm going to stay the eff out of this thread, pretty much, but I did want to say that the graphic novels published by Marvel are super awesome and everyone should read them.

I'M OUT

Ordered them

 

[WanderingWind]

Ordered them

The only problem is that they take so long to come out. The art is fan-freakin-tastic though. It's the closet thing we'll ever get to a TV show adaption.

 

[Veidt]

The only problem is that they take so long to come out. The art is fan-freakin-tastic though. It's the closet thing we'll ever get to a TV show adaption.

I agree with this. The art is just astonishing. Saw the trailer for it, and boom, an hour later, amazon ordered them.

 

[SmokyDave]

I think that the books went downhill when he resumed writing them after his accident. They were incredible up to and including Wizard & Glass, after that they got odd; all the references to the accident were never originally supposed to be part of the series, they ruined it in my opinion.

Absolutely agree and I think that can be said for his books in general. Like you I felt the series was 'roont' after Wizard & Glass and never returned to the form of the earlier books.

Oh and the ending sucks. Simple as.

 

[Azar]

I liked the ending. I thought it was perfect.

Agreed. The ending fits the series perfectly. I wouldn't recommend stopping before the ending, as King himself warns you to do.

 

[Kinyou]

I liked all the books but the last. Not because of the ending (which is think was great) but of the whole showdown and stuff leading up to it. It all just felt.... not right and simply unsatisfying.

Spoiler

I just loved the way King implanted himself in the story and the characters becoming aware of being figures in a book.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

I always wanted to read this series. Though I heard plenty how people hated the ending.

I mean, it's really true that Stephen King actually said not to read the ending? What?

 

[ElectricBlue187]

The first book, The Gunslinger, is so amazing that I had to keep reading...that is a mistake. Just stop after The Gunslinger. It amazes me how similar the story is to Trigun.

 

[SmokyDave]

I always wanted to read this series. Though I heard plenty how people hated the ending.

I mean, it's really true that Stephen King actually said not to read the ending? What?

In 'Danse Macabre' he says that the fear of the monster behind the door is always greater than the reveal. In essence whatever your mind conjures up will be more effective for you than whatever his mind conjures up behind the door. I assume he's operating on a similar principle here, he knows his ending is crap so he wants you to think up a good one for yourself. Mine involved lesbians.

 

[ChubbyHuggs]

Mine involved lesbians.

Where's Roland in this ending?

 

[elrechazado]

series went to shit when king added himself. sad really.

 

[Dresden]

Where's Roland in this ending?

Roland was a reverse trap.

 

[ChubbyHuggs]

Roland was a reverse trap.

I've been living a lie.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

In 'Danse Macabre' he says that the fear of the monster behind the door is always greater than the reveal. In essence whatever your mind conjures up will be more effective for you than whatever his mind conjures up behind the door. I assume he's operating on a similar principle here, he knows his ending is crap so he wants you to think up a good one for yourself. Mine involved lesbians.

Wow, not a lot of confidence. :lol

 

[SmokyDave]

Where's Roland in this ending?

Asked...

Roland was a reverse trap.

...and answered. It was all in the eyes, those bullshooters eyes.

 

[ArjanN]

The ending is fantastic. Unless you like happy endings in stories that have been utterly bleak and devoid of any positive emotions. Then you'd hate it.

I think the problem people have isn't so much with the ending specifically (although there is that too) but more that the last 3/4 books clearly aren't as good as the earlier ones. I think most of King's later stuff really shows he was tired of writing.

Trying to tie all his works into the same universe was kind of dumb as well. The occasional link here and there was pretty neat, for at the end he was really forcing it.

 

[rogue74]

... Mine involved lesbians ...

A proper ending for anything.

I read the first 6 books. Loved Drawing of the Three. Wizard and Glass is my favorite. Problem is that after Wolves of the Calla I started to lose interest. I struggled through Song of Susannah and by the time I got to The Dark Tower my heart just wasn't in it. I waited a while and picked up the last book again months later but had trouble keeping track of what was going on. Then I heard the ending sucked and stopped again.

I've always felt bad about not finishing. I may take another stab at it at some point.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

I always wanted to read this series. Though I heard plenty how people hated the ending.

I mean, it's really true that Stephen King actually said not to read the ending? What?

In the forward to the last book, he basically warns that you won't be satisfied, and that if you want an ending that caps everything off nicely, you're probably a premature ejaculator.

 

[SmokyDave]

Wow, not a lot of confidence. :lol

I was applying the monster principle to the Dark Tower series with my tongue firmly in my cheek but I broadly agree with him, your own demons are always darker than the next mans.

In the forward to the last book, he basically warns that you won't be satisfied, and that if you want an ending that caps everything off nicely, you're probably a premature ejaculator.

So that's why I...

...know a guy that hates the ending. I'll be sure to let, erm, 'him' know.

 

[Raist]

Hated it.

 

[AlteredBeast]

Read all 7 in about 2 months time. Excellent books. Only Song of Susannah is fodder, in my opinion. Even it was a quick read.

Wizard and Glass is amazing. Definitely my favorite of all the books. It would make for an amazing movie or mini-series in and of itself. The first book is amazing, as well.

Any moviewould have to portray the battle at Tull and Jericho Hill (told about, but not entirely expressed) in such a fashion that would do the series justice or don't make the movei at all.

 

[Captain Blood]

+1 for people who liked the ending.

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

I've tried to spoil myself on this series before because most of the first book didn't catch me and the only thing i can comprehend somewhat is the ending, despite my many spoiling efforts.

 

[Veidt]

The only problem is that they take so long to come out. The art is fan-freakin-tastic though. It's the closet thing we'll ever get to a TV show adaption.

Just got them delivered. omg this is so dope.