The Dark Tower (series)

Also see: The Dark Tower Wiki

The Dark Tower is a series of eight novels, as well as numerous ancillary short stories and graphic novels. The series, which King considers his magnum opus, ties together many of his other novels as well, and chronicles the adventures of the gunslinger Roland Deschain on his quest to reach a mysterious place known as The Dark Tower:

• The Gunslinger (1982)
• The Drawing of the Three (1987)
• The Waste Lands (1991)
• Wizard and Glass (1997)
• The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012)
• Wolves of the Calla (2003)
• Song of Susannah (2004)
• The Dark Tower (2004)

"The Little Sisters of Eluria," also written by King and involving Roland, is set before Gunslinger; it was first published in the 1998 anthology Legends: Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy, and later reprinted in King's own 2002 collection Everything's Eventual.

Related Material

Novels

• 'Salem's Lot (1975): Father Callahan winds up in Calla Bryn Sturgis, where he meets up with Roland's ka-tet in Wolves of the Calla.
• The Stand (1978): Roland's ka-tet traveled through the Topeka, Kansas of an alternate universe that has been ravaged by the superflu in Wizard and Glass.
• The Talisman (1984):

· Black House (2001):

• The Eyes of the Dragon (1987): Roland recalls crossing paths with Thomas and Dennis while telling his ka-tet about his time in Hambry in Wizard and Glass.
• Insomnia (1994): Ralph Roberts saves the life of Patrick Danville, who is rescued by Roland and Susannah from Dandelo in the Dark Tower.

· Pet Sematary (1983): Gage Creed is remembered by Roberts

· It (1986): Mike Hanlon worked at the Derry Public Library and hired Helen Deepneau, and Ben Hanscom designed the Derry Civic Centre.

· The Shining (1977): Dick Hallorann rescued William Hanlon from a fire.

· Misery (1987): Annie Wilkes mentions Andrew Pomeroy being assigned to sketch the ruins of the Overlook Hotel.

· The Dead Zone (1979): Frank Dodd is mentioned by Beverly Marsh.

· Cujo (1981): George Bannerman reappears as the sheriff of Castle Rock.

· The Tommyknockers (1987): David Bright interviews Ev Hillman, and John Smith and Greg Stillson are mentioned.

· Firestarter (1980): The Shop visits Haven to investigate.

· Dreamcatcher: (2001): Gary Jones visits a memorial at Standpipe Hill commemorating the members of the Losers Club.

· Cell (2006): Juniper Hill is mentioned.

· Gerald's Game (1992): John Tandy mentions the serial killer Raymond Joubert

· Dolores Claiborne (1992): Dolores Claiborne experiences two telepathic links to Jessie Burlingame.

· Bag of Bones (1998): Mike Noonan meets both Roberts and Joe Wyzer.

· The Dark Half (1989): Thaddeus Beaumont's ultimate fate is mentioned.

· Needful Things (1991): Alan Pangborn reappears as the sheriff of Castle Rock.

· Lisey's Story (2006): Andy Clutterbuck reappears as a deputy sheriff, but his appearance places the story in a universe where the events of Needful Things either did not occur or occurred in a way that Andy survived the latter novel's events.

• Rose Madder (1995): Dorcas mentions the city of Lud, which Roland's ka-tet passed through in the Waste Lands, to Rose McClendon, and Anna Stevenson reads the Misery Chastain novels by Paul Sheldon.

· Desperation (1996): Cynthia Smith is picked up by Steve Ames while hitchhiking crosscountry, and Ellen Carver reads the Misery novels by Sheldon.

· The Regulators (1996): The same cast of characters play out a different story, indicating that the two stories occur in closely-related alternate universes.

• From a Buick 8 (2002): the truck of the Buick Roadmaster possibly acts as a doorway into All-world, and is the type of car driven by the can-toi.
• Under the Dome (2009): Julia Shumway, whose Chester's Mill Democrat article on the death of Sheila Bonsaint is included in "N., appears as a central character.
• The Outsider (2018): The antagonist mentions the concept of "ka". It's nature as a shapeshifting creature that feeds on sadness could also link it to other creatures such as Dandelo and Pennywise who feed on fear and do possess shapeshifting abilities. Holly Gibsen from the Bill Hodges trilogy also has a crucial role in the plot. 

Stories

• "One for the Road" (1977): sequel to 'Salem's Lot.
• "Jerusalem's Lot" (1978): prequel to 'Salem's Lot.
• "The Mist" (1980): the eponymous mist is almost certainly a thinny.
• "The Reploids" (1988): abberant US currency is carried by one character.
• "Low Men in Yellow Coats" (1999): Ted Brautigan winds up at Algul Siento where he meets Roland's ka-tet in the Dark Tower.
• "Everything's Eventual" (2000) Dinky Earnshaw winds up at Algul Siento where he meets Roland's ka-tet in the Dark Tower.
• "N." (2008): the stones in Ackerman's Field are almost certainly a speaking ring.
• "Drunken Fireworks (2015)": Andy Clutterbuck once more reappears as the present day sheriff of Castle Rock, conforming to his appearance in Lisey's Story, and once more ignoring his supposed death in Needful Things or placing the story in a reality where his death did not occur.
• "Gwendy's Button Box" (2017): The box given to Gwendy Peterson has the initials R.F. on it, The man who gave it to her was dressed all black said his name was Richard Farris. But later on reddit Richard Chizmar who Co-Wrote the book with King said that Farris indeed was Randall Flagg.

Comics

Beginning in February 2007, Marvel Comics began running a prequel series written by Robin Furth and Peter David and illustrated by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove:

• The Gunslinger Born is a seven-issue series published from 7 February 2007 to 1 August 2007 that retells the flashback sequence told by Roland in Wizard and Glass.
• The Long Road Home is a five-issue series published from 5 March 2008 to 2 July 2008 that presents an entirely original story.
• Treachery is a six-issue series published from 10 September 2008 to February 2009.
• Sorcerer is a one-shot comic published on 11 March 2009 concerning sorcerer Marten Broadcloak.
• The Fall of Gilead is a six-issue series published from 6 May to 28 October 2009.
• The Battle of Jericho Hill is a five-issue series published from 25 November 2009 to 31 March 2010.
• The Gunslinger is a five-issue series published from May to September 2010.
• The Battle of Tull is a five-issue series to be published from June to October 2011.

Supplemental Works

• The Dark Tower: A Concordance, by Robin Furth
• Road to the Dark Tower, by Bev Vincent