"The Dark Tower" painting by Michael Whelan

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. The Dark Tower can refer to one of several things: The Dark Tower (series) — a series of novels by Stephen King. ... Image File history File links Thedarktower7. ... Image File history File links Thedarktower7. ... At the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, August 2005 Michael Whelan (born June 29, 1950) is a multiple award winning American artist specializing in science fiction and fantasy illustration. ... For other persons named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... For other definitions of fantasy see fantasy (psychology). ... Science fantasy is a mixed genre of story which contains some science fiction and some fantasy elements. ... “Horror story” redirects here. ... Cover of a book by Louis LAmour, one of Western fictions most prolific authors. ... Gunslinger from The Great Train Robbery Gunslinger, also gunfighter, is a name given to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun. ... Magnum opus (sometimes Opus magnum, plural magna opera), from the Latin meaning great work,[1] refers to the best, most popular, or most renowned achievement of an author, artist, or composer, and most commonly one who has contributed a very large amount of material. ...

The series was chiefly inspired by the poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" by Robert Browning, whose full text was included the final volume's appendix. In the preface to the revised 2003 edition of The Gunslinger, King also identifies The Lord of the Rings, the 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 Roland. King's style of location names in the series, such as Mid-World, and his development of a unique language abstract to our own, are also influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien's work. Poetry (ancient Greek: poieo = create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ... Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came painted by Thomas Moran in 1859 Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came is a poem by Robert Browning, written in 1855, first published that same year in the collection entitled Men and Women. ... Robert Browning (May 7, 1812 – December 12, 1889) was a British poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets. ... This article is about the novel. ... ‹ The template below is being considered for deletion. ... For the album by Frankee, see The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (Frankee album). ... For other uses, see Clint Eastwood (disambiguation). ... This article is about the film character played by Clint Eastwood. ... Tolkien redirects here. ...

Overview

Plot summary

In the story, Roland is the last living member of a knightly order known as gunslingers. 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, as well as bearing magical powers and 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 from the face of the earth without a trace, 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 his age are unclear, though later installments shed light on these mysteries. For other uses, see Knight (disambiguation) or Knights (disambiguation). ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste Feudalism, a term first used in the late modern period (17th century), in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval European political system comprised of a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the... The cowboy, the quintessential symbol of the American Old West, circa 1887. ... The Sorceress by John William Waterhouse Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events, objects, people, and physical phenomena) through mystical, paranormal or supernatural means. ...

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

Characters in the series

Main article: List of characters from the Dark Tower series

// Main article: Roland Deschain Roland Deschain, son of Steven Deschain, was born in the Land of Gilead. ...

Places

Main article: Places in The Dark Tower series

The Dark Tower series of novels, by Stephen King, contain references to numerous locations. ...

Language

King created a language for his characters, known as the High Speech. Examples of this language include the phrase Thankee, Sai ("Thank you, Sir/Ma'am.") and Dan-Tete ("Little King"). 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.

Series

1. The Dark Tower I: 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)
5. The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla (2003)
6. The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah (2004)
7. The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower (2004)

The Gunslinger is a novel by American author Stephen King, and is the first volume in the Dark Tower series, which King considers to be his magnum opus. ... The Drawing of the Three is the second book in the Dark Tower series written by Stephen King in 1970 and published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher in 1987. ... The Waste Lands is book III of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. ... Wizard and Glass is the fourth book in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. ... Wolves of the Calla is the fifth book in Stephen Kings The Dark Tower series. ... Song of Susannah is the sixth and penultimate novel in Stephen Kings Dark Tower series. ... The Dark Tower is the seventh and final book of novelist Stephen Kings Dark Tower series, published September 21, 2004 (Kings birthday) by Donald M. Grant Publishers, and illustrated by Michael Whelan. ...

Origins and publishing history

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (August 2007)

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...

Illustrations

Each book in the series was originally published in hardcover format with a number of full-color illustrations spread throughout. Each book contained works by a single illustrator only. Subsequent printings of each book in trade paperback format usually preserve the illustrations in full, except for books I and IV. Pocket-sized paperback reprints contain only black-and-white chapter or section header illustrations.The illustrators who worked on each book are: Hardcover books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper, or sometimes leather). ... A trade paperback can refer to any book that is bound with a heavy paper cover that is generally cheaper than the hardcover but more expensive than the regular paperback version. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

1. Michael Whelan, multiple award-winning science fiction and fantasy painter. The Dark Tower is among his early notable works.
2. Phil Hale, the only Dark Tower illustrator who created a second set of illustrations for a later printing of the book he illustrated.
3. Ned Dameron.
4. Dave McKean, graphic designer noted for working in many media, including photography and film. The only Dark Tower illustrator to work in photocollages.
5. Bernie Wrightson, established illustrator for 1960s and 1970s horror comics.
6. Darrel Anderson, the only Dark Tower illustrator who used digital illustration techniques.
7. Michael Whelan, returning more than 20 years later as the only recurring Dark Tower illustrator.

At the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, August 2005 Michael Whelan (born June 29, 1950) is a multiple award winning American artist specializing in science fiction and fantasy illustration. ... Phil Hale is an American Figurative painter who currently resides in London, England. ... David Tench McKean (born 29 December 1963 in Maidenhead, England) is an illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician. ... An imaginary world composed of photorealistic inanimate, human, and plant objects spurs a psychological impact upon the viewer. ... Swamp Thing, created by Bernie Wrightson. ... Computer illustration or digital illustration is the use of digital tools to produce images, under the direct manipulation of the artist, usually through a pointing device such as a tablet or a mouse. ...

Reception

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (August 2007)

The Washington Post's Bill Sheehan called the series "a humane, visionary epic and a true magnum opus" that stands as an "imposing example of pure storytelling," "filled with brilliantly rendered set pieces... cataclysmic encounters and moments of desolating tragedy."^[1] The Boston Globe's Erica Noonan said "there's a fascinating world to be discovered in the series" but noted that its epic nature keeps it from being user-friendly.^[2] The New York Times' Michael Agger was disappointed with how the series progressed; while he marveled at the "sheer absurdity of [the books'] existence" and complimented King's writing style, he said preparation would have improved the series, stating "King doesn't have the writerly finesse for these sorts of games, and the voices let him down."^[3] The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Berry, however, called the series' early installments "highfalutin hodgepodge" but the ending "a valediction" that "more than delivers on what has been promised." ^[4] Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the citys oldest papers, having been founded in 1877. ... The Boston Globe is the most widely-circulated daily newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts and in the greater New England region. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Todays San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. ...

Other media

Offshoot books

The series has prompted related non-fiction books by authors besides King. Robin Furth has published the two-volume Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Concordance, an encyclopedia-style companion to the series that she originally wrote for King's personal use. Bev Vincent has published The Road to The Dark Tower: Exploring Stephen King's Magnum Opus, a book containing back story, summary and analysis. Stephen King has endorsed both books. Robin Furth is the personal research assistant to Stephen King and the author of Stephen Kings The Dark Tower: A Complete Concordance, which is currently slated to be published at the end of 2006. ... Bev Vincent is the author of The Road to the Dark Tower, the Bram Stoker nominated, authorized companion to Stephen Kings Dark Tower series, and has been writing News From the Dead Zone for Cemetery Dance magazine since March 2001. ...

Prequel comic series

Main article: The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born

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. A prequel is a work that portrays events which include the structure, conventions, and/or characters of a previously completed narrative, but occur at an earlier time. ... This article is about the comic book company. ... Peter Allen David (often abbreviated PAD) (born September 23, 1956) is an American writer, best known for his work in comic books and Star Trek novels. ... Cover art from Manhunter #4 (2005). ... Richard Isanove is an artist who has worked as a colorist in the comics industry. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

The next arc in the Dark Tower comic series being released by Marvel Comics is called The Long Road Home. The first issue was published on March 5, 2008 This article is about the comic book company. ...

Film adaptation

IGN Movies has reported that a film adaptation is in the works; whether it is for a movie or a television series is unknown. J. J. Abrams, who has been behind shows such as Lost and Alias, is supposedly attached to produce and direct.^[5] Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, also affiliated with Lost and J. J. Abrams, have optioned the Dark Tower series from King for a reported nineteen dollars, which of course, is the infamous number from the Dark Tower series of novels.^[6] 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."^[7] IGN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. ... Jeffrey Abrams (also credited as J.J. Abrams) (born in 1966) is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television producer, writer, actor, composer and director. ... LOST redirects here. ... Alias was an American Spy-fi television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006, spanning five seasons. ... Carlton Cuse at the 2006 San Diego Comic Convention Carlton Cuse Born Aurthur Cuse is a television writer and executive, most recently for the ABC television series Lost where he serves as writer and executive producer. ... Damon Lindelof, 2006 Damon Laurence Lindelof (born April 24, 1973) is an American television writer, executive, hack, and most recently noted as the co-creator, executive producer, head writer and show runner for the hit television series Lost. ... Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ...

Roland as depicted in the opening credits of another Stephen King movie The Mist.

Multiple mock trailers have popped up on Youtube. Also, the official Grand Prize winner of Simon & Schuster's (King's Publisher) American Gunslinger contest [1], "Roland Meets Brown" [2], by Robert David Cochrane[3], 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 Ironwood door, with a rose and the dark tower to each side. The Mist, also known as Stephen Kings The Mist, is a 2007 American horror film based on the 1980 novella The Mist by Stephen King. ...

In February 2008, Abrams announced that he and Lindelof had begun work on an early draft for the adaptation. ^[8]

Music

The Power Metal band Blind Guardian has written several songs about the series, such as Somewhere Far Beyond. Also, the side project of Blind Guardian singer Hansi Kürsch and Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer, Demons And Wizards released their album Touched by the Crimson King in 2005. Many songs on this album are directly inspired by The Dark Tower. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Somewhere Far Beyond is the fourth studio-album by German Power/Speed-Metal act Blind Guardian. ... Hansi Kürsch Hansi Kürsch (born August 10, 1966 in Lank-Latum, Germany) is the lead vocalist of metal band Blind Guardian. ... Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band that combine influences from thrash metal, power metal, progressive metal, opera, speed metal and NWOBHM. In 1999 their leader and songwriter Jon Schaffer teamed up with Blind Guardian vocalist Hansi Kürsch to form a side project called Demons & Wizards. ... Jon Ryan Schaffer (born March 15, 1968 in Franklin, Indiana) is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. ... Demons and Wizards is a modern progressive rock band with a style resembling Iced Earth and Blind Guardian. ... Touched by the Crimson King is the second album of power metal/ heavy metal band Demons & Wizards and was released in June 2005. ...

The Christian Rock Band Rainy Days, on their album Homecoming, recorded a song called The Gunslinger which tells the story of the first book. The album was released in 1996. Rainy Days is a 2005 album by the rock band XYZ. Categories: | ... For other uses, see Homecoming (disambiguation). ...

The symphonic metal band Nightwish's song 7 Days to the Wolves (from their album Dark Passion Play) is inspired by The Dark Tower. Nightwish is a Finnish metal quintet, formed in 1996 in the town of Kitee, Finland. ... Singles from Dark Passion Play Released: May 25, 2007 Released: August 22, 2007 Released: December 5, 2007 Released: February 15, 2008 Released: May 21, 2008 Dark Passion Play is the sixth studio album by Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish. ...

Connections to King's other works

The series has become a linchpin that ties much of King's work together. The worlds of the Dark Tower are in part composed of locations, characters, events and other various elements from many of King's novels. Virtually all of his novels, and many of his shorter works, are connected to the Dark Tower, either directly or through other works (e.g., The Tommyknockers neither references or is referenced by the Dark Tower novels, but characters in the book visit Derry, the setting for IT and Insomnia, and the Alhambra Inn from The Talisman, three novels directly tied to the Dark Tower series). Linchpin are a Rock/ Alternative band from London, England. ... The Novel The Tommyknockers is a 1987 horror novel by Stephen King. ... It is a horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1986. ... Insomnia is a novel written by Stephen King and first published in 1994. ... The Talisman is a 1984 fantasy novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub. ...

The following is a list of 'specific' connections between books. Note that all Dark Tower books are connected to each other chronologically.^[9]

Bag of Bones is a 1998 novel by Stephen King. ... The Stand is a post-apocalyptic Horror/Science Fiction novel by Stephen King originally published in 1978. ... The Eyes of the Dragon is a book by Stephen King published in 1987. ... The Eyes of the Dragon is a book by Stephen King published in 1987. ... For other uses of this term, see Shining. ... The Stand is a post-apocalyptic Horror/Science Fiction novel by Stephen King originally published in 1978. ... Rose Madder is a 1995 novel by Stephen King. ... The Stand is a post-apocalyptic Horror/Science Fiction novel by Stephen King originally published in 1978. ... Cell is an apocalyptic horror novel published by American author Stephen King in January 2006. ... It is a horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1986. ... Insomnia is a novel written by Stephen King and first published in 1994. ... For the 2007 film based on Kings novella, see The Mist (film). ... Skeleton Crew (1985) is the second published anthology of short stories by Stephen King. ... The Stand is a post-apocalyptic Horror/Science Fiction novel by Stephen King originally published in 1978. ... The Eyes of the Dragon is a book by Stephen King published in 1987. ... Salems Lot is a horror novel by Stephen King, written in 1975, and was Kings second published novel. ... Black House is a novel by horror writers Stephen King and Peter Straub. ... The Talisman is a 1984 fantasy novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub. ... The Stand is a post-apocalyptic Horror/Science Fiction novel by Stephen King originally published in 1978. ... Hearts in Atlantis (1999), is a fictional work by Stephen King. ... Hearts in Atlantis (1999), is a fictional work by Stephen King. ... The Eyes of the Dragon is a book by Stephen King published in 1987. ... Black House is a novel by horror writers Stephen King and Peter Straub. ... The Talisman is a 1984 fantasy novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub. ... The Little Sisters of Eluria, Art by Erik Wilson. ... Desperation. ... The Regulators is a novel by Stephen King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. ... Hearts in Atlantis (1999), is a fictional work by Stephen King. ... Hearts in Atlantis (1999), is a fictional work by Stephen King. ... From a Buick 8 is a novel by horror writer Stephen King. ... It is a horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1986. ... Insomnia is a novel written by Stephen King and first published in 1994. ... For other uses of this term, see Shining. ... Insomnia is a novel written by Stephen King and first published in 1994. ... Salems Lot is a horror novel by Stephen King, written in 1975, and was Kings second published novel. ... Hearts in Atlantis (1999), is a fictional work by Stephen King. ... Hearts in Atlantis (1999), is a fictional work by Stephen King. ... From a Buick 8 is a novel by horror writer Stephen King. ... It is a horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1986. ...

References

The Dark Tower Portal

Image File history File links Portal. ... ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Boston Globe (and Boston Sunday Globe) is the most widely circulated daily newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts and New England. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The San Francisco Chronicle, the self-described Voice of the West, is Northern Californias largest newspaper. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... This article is about the day. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

The Dark Tower (series)

• Official website (requires Macromedia Flash 6)
• The Dark Tower Compendium
• TheDarkTower.com, unofficial fansite
• (French) LaTourSombre.fr, encyclopedia