In 1970, Stephen King embarked on what would become the crowning achievement in his literary career-the Dark Tower. The seven-volume series, written and published over a period of 30 years, was inspired by Robert Browning's poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came," as well as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and the spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone.
With the full cooperation of Stephen King himself, The Road to the Dark Tower examines the epic journey of the author to complete a story that threatened to overwhelm him. In this indispensable companion, Bev Vincent presents a book-by-book analysis of each volume in the series, tracing the Dark Tower's connections to King's other novels including The Stand, Insomnia, and Hearts in Atlantis, and offering insights from the author about the creative process involved in crafting his lifelong work-a work that has consumed not only Stephen King, but his legion of devoted readers. This is essential reading for any Dark Tower-or Stephen King-fan.
The Road To The Dark Tower
Key To Referenced Works
Introduction: More Worlds Than These
Chapter 1: The Long Journey to the Tower
Chapter 2: The Gunslinger (Resumption)
Chapter 3: The Drawing of the Three (Renewal)
Chapter 4: The Waste Lands (Redemption)
Chapter 5: Wizard and Glass (Regard)
Chapter 6: Wolves of the Calla (Resistance)
Chapter 7: Song of Susannah (Reproduction)
Chapter 8: The Dark Tower (Resumption)
Chapter 9: Related Works
The Stand
The Eyes of the Dragon
Insomnia
Rose Madder
Desperation and the Regulators
"The Little Sisters of Eluria"
"Low Men in Yellow Coats" (Hearts in Atlantis)
"Everything's Eventual"
The Talisman and Black House
Chapter 10: Dramatis Personae
Roland Deschain of Gilead
John "Jake" Chambers
Eddie Dean (Edward Cantor Dean)
Susannah Dean, Odetta Susannah Holmes, Detta Susannah Walker, Mia
Oy
Father Donald Frank Callahan
Patrick Danville
The Men in Black, Walter o'Dim, Marten Broadcloak, Randall Flagg . . .
Mordred Deschain
The Crimson King (Ram Abbalah)
Stephen King
Chapter 11: Epics, Influences and Ka
Chapter 12: Art and the Act of Creation
Argument: Magnum Opus?
Appendix I: Timeline (Fact)
Appendix II: Timeline (Fiction)
Part 1: Mid-World
Part 2: Keystone Earth
Appendix III: Mid-World Glossary
Appendix IV: The Dark Tower on the Web
Stephen King Fan Pages
Appendix V: Synopses and notes form The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
Appendix VI: "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came"
References and Acknowledgments
