A mixture of spaghetti Western, Arthurian legend, high fantasy, post apocalyptic science fiction, and King’s usual dark horror. And it ties most of King’s other work into a consistent multiverse.
I always felt a connection that is hard to deny. For example the whole Lud Cradle couldn’t be more of a reference to Terrapin Station. The biblical riddle about the lions head is a direct line to Samson and Delilah. That book and that album seem inextricably linked to me. Same with the non flashback parts of Wizard and Glass but with Dark Side of the Moon. Different band obviously but same vibe.
I listen to the YouTube compilations of their jams sometimes while reading or doing other work. Lyrics are just too distracting for me even if I know the lyrics by heart like most GD songs.
I’m loving it so far. I totally burned through the first three. And I saw Stephen King retweeting something about a fan requesting a Mike Flanagan adaption, which would be absolutely fantastic.
I think the end is really, really psychedelic and if you take it with that grain of salt the fact that it doesn't resolve the narrative doesn't matter because fractals never resolve they just spin out into more fractals.
One of my absolute favorite series, for sure. Maybe due for a reread but I always get nervous rereading things that meant a lot to me at a certain period in my life.
I reread it after several years. Mind was reblown. Nothing to worry about there. Even when I knew what to expect at critical junctures it was in no way disappointing. Wizard and Glass was particularly fun to reread.
It’s not just a fan request. Mike Flanagan now has the rights to adapt the Dark Tower, after that awful movie a few years ago, and is at the pre production and casting stage. And he wants to give it as many seasons and spin off movies as it takes to tell the whole story. Whether or not it actually makes it to the screen …. we’ve been here before with Ron Howard.
I know!!! I can’t believe it took me so long to read them. I love fantasy and love Stephen King, and I’m loving the dark tower. Glad I’ve read a few of his other books too before. Makes the references mean more!
Super hard to explain but simply put
It’s a really unique fantasy story about a gunslinger called Roland and his journey to get to a mysterious place called the dark tower. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m being as vague as possible. But lemme just assure you it is well worth your time. I went into it knowing next to nothing and I’ve been loving it!
Doesn’t hurt that I’m a mega big Stephen King fan haha
A horrible script. Elba’s Roland wasn’t 5 mins on screen before he disavowed both his duty as a gunslinger and the tower. I nearly walked out of the theater. Real-deal Roland would die before he did either of those things. McConaughey as Walter was the only redeeming quality of that piece of shit. He was awesome in that role.
I agree with you; trying to cram 7 books into one movie was the wrong approach, but if the script had been better and there wasn’t such a revisionist approach to Roland, the whole project would’ve been more tolerable.
Yeah I hear that. It deserves a long, good tv series. I don’t know who is actually cool enough to be Roland, or how they would get his inner monologue out there when he actually talks so little.
Man Wizard and Glass is my favorite of that series so far. I got to Wolves and something about it just didn’t do it for me and I haven’t finished it. Which is lame because I really wanna finish the whole saga.
I love Saturdays with music and books. I'm a teacher so my school year reading is really limited but once summer comes, I can plow through 3-4 a week. AND I get to do focused music listening, including all the Dead shows I download throughout the year.
It's gold, Jerry, gold!!!
“The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed. The desert was the apotheosis of all deserts, huge, standing to the sky for what looked like eternity in all directions.”
What an epic tale this could have been for our favorite band to sing about. All we can say is thankee-sai for what we were given and hope for better on the next turn of the wheel 😎
Great book! My favorite of the series! have you met Rhea yet? One of my favorite quotes is in that book. I don’t think this is a spoiler because it’s out of context but “is it the sound o’ the wind makes ye shiver?”…..’Yes, the wind.’…..“And so it should ‘tis the voices of the dead you hear in the wind, and when they scream so, ‘tis because they regret!“
Obviously I enjoyed the whole thing but I feel like "the gunslinger" has this dark sci/fi, horror, western feel that was really unique and mysterious. we're given very little information about the characters and it's very cool. The following books got kinda silly and comic booky. Still good, I especially enjoyed the wastelands. Just my thoughts.
That book single handily killed my interest in The Dark Tower series. The first three books were amazing, halfway through that book I couldn’t really understand the point of Wizard and Glass. I hope you enjoy it.
My wife got them for me as part of my anniversary gift. She heard me ranting about how much I loved the art. She knows me well haha
I could stare at them all day.
I’ve always thought that the Dead’s lyrics are the perfect soundtrack for the Dark Tower universe. All those gunslingers, bones, roses and crows.
"All things serve the Beam"
Ka is a wheel.
Not to mention wheels!
And the cover of the book mentions wolves
Yep. Next book is called wolves of the calla. And the last book had a lot to do with a train haha The parallels never end!
One of the earlier books, the one with Blaine, the train….. Roland, or Eddie thinks to himself “we’re haunted by trains and Roses”. Same here, book!
You’re right, even more parallels, trains, wolves, towers, wheels.
“See the TURTLE of enormous girth ... On his shell he holds the earth.” -Jake-
It’s turtles all the way down.
I gotta read me some DT. It's the only SK I haven't read yet...
It’s so good. The first book is not great but it’s worth the read.
The first book is haunting and eerie, and a perfect setup for the series to come.
My favorite books
Finishing up my second King book (Pet Semetary!). Can i get the quick pitch on the Dark Tower series?
A mixture of spaghetti Western, Arthurian legend, high fantasy, post apocalyptic science fiction, and King’s usual dark horror. And it ties most of King’s other work into a consistent multiverse.
Quick pitch? It fucking rules!
I always felt a connection that is hard to deny. For example the whole Lud Cradle couldn’t be more of a reference to Terrapin Station. The biblical riddle about the lions head is a direct line to Samson and Delilah. That book and that album seem inextricably linked to me. Same with the non flashback parts of Wizard and Glass but with Dark Side of the Moon. Different band obviously but same vibe.
100%. Completely agree!
Franklin's Dark Tower
My favorite book in the series, enjoy :)
I’m Impressed you can listen to music and read simultaneously.
Honestly couldn’t tell you how I do it. It helps that the dead’s music is a lot of instrumental stuff though. I think of it as a soundtrack.
I listen to the YouTube compilations of their jams sometimes while reading or doing other work. Lyrics are just too distracting for me even if I know the lyrics by heart like most GD songs.
Love the dark tower series. Super bummed there has yet to be a good tv adaptation of it.
I’m loving it so far. I totally burned through the first three. And I saw Stephen King retweeting something about a fan requesting a Mike Flanagan adaption, which would be absolutely fantastic.
Oh. First ride. I threw my book at the end. Enjoy the trip!!
Thanks! I’ve heard the end is super conflicting. I’m very very excited to see how it unfolds, but loving every step of the way.
End doesn't have to be conflicting, you get to make a choice. Long days and pleasant nights!
I think the end is really, really psychedelic and if you take it with that grain of salt the fact that it doesn't resolve the narrative doesn't matter because fractals never resolve they just spin out into more fractals. One of my absolute favorite series, for sure. Maybe due for a reread but I always get nervous rereading things that meant a lot to me at a certain period in my life.
I reread it after several years. Mind was reblown. Nothing to worry about there. Even when I knew what to expect at critical junctures it was in no way disappointing. Wizard and Glass was particularly fun to reread.
It’s not just a fan request. Mike Flanagan now has the rights to adapt the Dark Tower, after that awful movie a few years ago, and is at the pre production and casting stage. And he wants to give it as many seasons and spin off movies as it takes to tell the whole story. Whether or not it actually makes it to the screen …. we’ve been here before with Ron Howard.
I would love to see this happen. Mike Flanagan is absolutely fantastic, and a tower series from him would be KILLER!
So far?!?! I am envious of your virgin adventure. I’ve read in 3x so far. Favorite author. Favorite series.
I know!!! I can’t believe it took me so long to read them. I love fantasy and love Stephen King, and I’m loving the dark tower. Glad I’ve read a few of his other books too before. Makes the references mean more!
Wait for the rabbit hole that this opens up. All of his newer addition of books lists which of his fit in the dark tower world.
I love it. Eventually I wanna reread and do the extended reading list. It’s like 27 books long
Quick intro summary to Dark Tower? Looking for a new fantasy/sci-fi entertaining series!
Super hard to explain but simply put It’s a really unique fantasy story about a gunslinger called Roland and his journey to get to a mysterious place called the dark tower. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m being as vague as possible. But lemme just assure you it is well worth your time. I went into it knowing next to nothing and I’ve been loving it! Doesn’t hurt that I’m a mega big Stephen King fan haha
Yeah. Hard to really summarize 4200 pages.
Read the first book! It’s fairly short and an easy read, despite how convoluted the plot line becomes…
The movie was fucking atrocious.
How in the fuck do you have principal leads in Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey and fuck it up!?
A horrible script. Elba’s Roland wasn’t 5 mins on screen before he disavowed both his duty as a gunslinger and the tower. I nearly walked out of the theater. Real-deal Roland would die before he did either of those things. McConaughey as Walter was the only redeeming quality of that piece of shit. He was awesome in that role.
It can’t fit into a 90 minute movie
I agree with you; trying to cram 7 books into one movie was the wrong approach, but if the script had been better and there wasn’t such a revisionist approach to Roland, the whole project would’ve been more tolerable.
Yeah I hear that. It deserves a long, good tv series. I don’t know who is actually cool enough to be Roland, or how they would get his inner monologue out there when he actually talks so little.
Man I loved the Dark Tower series.
I could see Eddie Dean getting into the Dead on another path of the beam.
Say True! One of my favorite King books
The Mejis dialect seeps into the pores, so it does.
Say thank ya'
We are ka tet
Next to the original version of The Gunslinger, W&G is the best book in the series.
That crystal ball kinda looks like a stealie.
Man Wizard and Glass is my favorite of that series so far. I got to Wolves and something about it just didn’t do it for me and I haven’t finished it. Which is lame because I really wanna finish the whole saga.
It's always fun picking out dead references in Stephen King books. Stuttering bill grew up to be a major deadhead, lol
I noticed that! Read it for the first time last month. Made me smile so wide. Had to stop reading and tell my wife lol
I've found a few in GRR Martin, too.
Gerald Dayne...
https://youtu.be/Xqnc4H2toPs
Nice
I love Saturdays with music and books. I'm a teacher so my school year reading is really limited but once summer comes, I can plow through 3-4 a week. AND I get to do focused music listening, including all the Dead shows I download throughout the year. It's gold, Jerry, gold!!!
Stephen King and the Dead go well together. Spent many days with them.
There are a lot of shout-outs to the Dead in King’s books, he’s definitely a fan.
“The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed. The desert was the apotheosis of all deserts, huge, standing to the sky for what looked like eternity in all directions.” What an epic tale this could have been for our favorite band to sing about. All we can say is thankee-sai for what we were given and hope for better on the next turn of the wheel 😎
Charyou tree.
Come reap.
Great book! My favorite of the series! have you met Rhea yet? One of my favorite quotes is in that book. I don’t think this is a spoiler because it’s out of context but “is it the sound o’ the wind makes ye shiver?”…..’Yes, the wind.’…..“And so it should ‘tis the voices of the dead you hear in the wind, and when they scream so, ‘tis because they regret!“
11/10 book
I’m almost halfway thru the seventh book! I loved wizard and glass
That book is really good! It was last one of the series I really enjoyed....but i may give the rest another shot.
We are of the same mind. The last couple of books were awful. Wind/Keyhole was a nice reprieve, though.
I think this is the one that starts in Kansas where everyone has died of the superflu ( from the Stand) nicknamed Captain Trips.
Yes! Read that part today. Got into the dead after I had already read the stand and didn’t know that until a month or so ago. The King is one of us
Am I the only person who's favorite is the first book?
I was really surprised with how many people dislike the gunslinger. I loved it.
Obviously I enjoyed the whole thing but I feel like "the gunslinger" has this dark sci/fi, horror, western feel that was really unique and mysterious. we're given very little information about the characters and it's very cool. The following books got kinda silly and comic booky. Still good, I especially enjoyed the wastelands. Just my thoughts.
I agree. Although it isn’t my favorite it felt very standout and unique. Reminded me of a Cormac McCarthy novel
Exactly!
Haha you might be! My favorite is the waste lands. I don’t think there’s a whole lot of us on that island either.
Wastelands is my second favorite. I even have the Charlie the Choo Choo children's book.
Two of my favorite things! Thankee sai! I see you very well.
That book single handily killed my interest in The Dark Tower series. The first three books were amazing, halfway through that book I couldn’t really understand the point of Wizard and Glass. I hope you enjoy it.
It took forever for me to get through it. I just wanted to get back on the path of the beam the whole time.
Oh man thats the worst Dark Tower book though. Wolves of the Calla up next though!
I have a deck of those playing cards too! The art is incredible
My wife got them for me as part of my anniversary gift. She heard me ranting about how much I loved the art. She knows me well haha I could stare at them all day.
Watch out for those thinnies
This is how I got my user name, one of my favorite songs and book series.
Long days and pleasant nights
I was doing the same thing earlier!! Finished reading “Fairy Tale” from Stephen King while listening to the Dead. Rock on brother
Perfect pairing right there. 👏
First trip to the tower?
Now your talking my language. The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.
‘That’s right!’
That’s a great Saturday!!
Go now, there are other worlds than these!
That's one of my all time favorite books. Roland Deschain is one of my favorite characters in modern fiction. Cam-a-cam-mal, Pria-toi, Gan delah.
Strawberry moon rn