OT: Gunslinger / DarkTower / S. King

[RolandOfGilead]

Anyone else out there totally ensnared by this gripping series?
If you've never heard of it - The Dark tower is set in a wierd west type of world in a way. The world has moved on, as they say.. it is dying. Roland, the last of the gunslingers, (An ancient order of revolver wielding knights linked to Arthur Eld (King arthur)) is on a quest to find the dark tower, which is reputed to be the foundation of the multiverse.. the dark tower is under siege, by evil supernatural forces, and their agent, walter, a sorceror and shape shifter, is fleeing across the desert.. running from the gunslinger...

The gunslinger - that is all gunslingers - are a kind of samurai / jedi / lone ranger combination...

Just as a side note: the gunslinger takes place in another universe, but he crosses over to our universe to find allies, and the dark tower is at the center of ALL reality, that is why it is so important. The Gunslinger looks ALOT like clint eastwood.. kind of Stephen king's tribute to clint I guess.. If you havent read it, do yourself a favor, and pick up the four books he has written so far, and READ THEM ALL. If it seems slow, stick with it. It has a huge payoff.. hehe.

 

[brak1]

Oh yes! One of my favorite book series of all time. Roland is such a fantastic character and the setting is a vast, sprawling, epic multiverse - that just happens to contain all the other worlds King has written in.

Gah, gotta run, but yeah, love those books. And now we can actually look forward to him finishing the series! Books 5 and 6 are already finished with 7 underway.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Books 5 and 6 are already finished with 7 underway.

Where did you hear this? And, more importantly, when are they going to publish #5 and #6?!!?!??

 

[Velenne]

Definately King's best work, IMHO!

While many of his works range from the suspensful, to the horrific, to just rubbing along the borders of the supernatural, the Dark Tower series is sci-fi/modern/fantasy/suspense/horror and more all wrapped up in plot saturated with well-developed characters you come to identify with and love. I can't say enough for this series!! Though he manages to weave his other stories into the plot (like the many villains with R.F initials), it's such a departure from most of his writing that I believe haters of his other books may still come to love it.

Thankee sai.

 

[RolandOfGilead]

Volume 5, WOLVES OF THE CALLA, will be ready early 2003.
Volume 6, SONG OF SUSANNAH, late 2003.
and VOLUME 7, THE DARK TOWER, is almost complete as we speak.
We have a lot of reading to do in the coming year....

but I will not forget the face of my father! I will stand and be true when presented with the thick manuals! hehe.

 

[N Hammer]

I've enjoyed these books since the first one came out...MANY, MANY years ago.

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I have yet to read the first book, but the other three were very good. My favorite being wizard and glass. Roland is a cool character but i have to admit Cuthbert is my pick for best character in the series thus far.

 

[RolandOfGilead]

Personally? My favorite characters are probably not all that popular..

Andrew Quick, the tick tock man...
Rhea of Coos
Jonas of the Big Coffin Hunters
And of Course, Roland has to be my favorite, I guess.
Those bullshooters eyes...

 

[BOZ]

i heard SK did a short story book recently with a roland story in it. true or not?

 

[RolandOfGilead]

True Boz!
The Story is in Everything Eventual, which I highly recommend you pick up. As a bonus, there is another story in that book that will have a character appear in the pages of the coming books.

The story in everything eventual is called "Little sisters of Eluria"..
about a tent - hospital roland finds himself in after a battle with a couple of slow mutants.. turns out the sisters of eluria are his nurses - and vampires to boot. and we dont even want to TALK about the doctors.

Heh heh. Pick it up! Oh, and pick up Hearts in Atlantis while you're at it. Ted Brautigan, the character anthony hopkins played in the movie adaption, is a key figure in the tower saga. (he's the head breaker).

Cheers!