You should it's great. Though it is barely a dark tower story.
Stephen King |OT| - Era Ka-Tet
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You should it's great. Though it is barely a dark tower story.
If you're a fan of The Dark Tower then you're missing out by not having read The Wind Through The Keyhole. It was wonderful to revisit the world and the writing is top notch. I hope you're able to get to it soon!
I second the recommendation for 11/22/63. It's about a man who has a chance to travel back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination. Things escalate from there - it's one helluva read.
I loved everything that didn't have to do with the Kennedy assassination plot. King has a knack for bringing that period alive.
11/22/63 reminds me of The Stand in that the best part of both books is the first half where it's dong all the world building - or, in this case, recreating the early 60s. It's just terrific stuff. Which isn't to say that the Kennedy assassination plot isn't interesting or well done, but that simply spending time in that era with the characters is so completely enjoyable.
Its a great book, second best dark tower book after wizard and glass.
The Holly story in If It Bleeds was really good. I love that character.
I'm wondering, if King is done with Dark Tower. Has there been anything that connected to it since he finished the series? Pre-Dark Tower, almost every book he wrote had some easter egg or direct connection to those books.
I'm wondering, if King is done with Dark Tower. Has there been anything that connected to it since he finished the series? Pre-Dark Tower, almost every book he wrote had some easter egg or direct connection to those books.
The comics and I recall he has said he still hear the call sometimes.
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I found out recently-either in this thread or the comics thread-that Marvel lost their license to the Dark Tower comics. So there won't be any more from them.
In particular, The Dark Tower: Beginnings is five volumes, three of which adapt Wizard and Glass and the last two, The Fall of Gilead and The Battle of Jericho Hill, provide new material. It's well done and worth checking out.
As for The Dark Tower, I'd love to see King revisit the world and fill in bits of continuity here and there. For that matter, I'd love to see him hand off the series to another author and see Roland pursue the Man and Black across another path to the Dark Tower. Either way, heres hoping we get to return to Mid-World one day.
Not a problem since King's exassistant did all the plot, so the new publisher just need to grab her.
It's really good, and standalone enough not only is it essential reading for Dark Tower fans I would also actually recommend it as a stand-alone read to people that have not/don't plan on reading the series. Same as The little sisters of Eluria.
That said my second favorite work that is important to the Tower would be Insomnia, though I agree with Wizard and Glass being #1.
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Yes it is, possibly one of my favorites of Kings, which is saying something because I much prefer the short fiction format both in general and in Kings work in particular.
This I didn't know. Was it also one of the Marvel published things or someone different, and do you know if it's available to purchase digitally or do rights wankery mean I will have to search for a used physical copy?
Marvel
I Don't read digital so don't know.
I missed the Dark Tower comics the first time around, just saw they're reprinting them in three hardback collections so got my preorder in for the first two sets, releasing in June with the third a couple of months after.
I can't, and never have been able to, find a matching hardback collection of the actual Dark Tower novels. They deserve better on my bookshelf than the ancient, well worn, yellowing mismatched set I've got.
I can't, and never have been able to, find a matching hardback collection of the actual Dark Tower novels. They deserve better on my bookshelf than the ancient, well worn, yellowing mismatched set I've got.
Thanks for what info you do have, it is appreciated, just worried that Marvel not having the license will keep them from sale that sort of thing can vary. But....Marvel
I Don't read digital so don't know.
I'll have to look into this. Hopefully there is a digital equivalent it's not just a reading preference, my place is way too small for physical even for stuff I love and want (I recently had to make the same sacrifice for the Coheed and Cambria Amory Wars comics, I really wanted the hardcover ultimate editions but I just don't have the space for physical items) so I'll look into it at least.
She sucks, but she's a character people would like to see themselves in I guess. She has flaws but despite them she's always right, people admire and like her, she's intuitive to an unrealistic degree, she comes off as eccentric to other people, unique. She comes off to me like Sherlock Holmes type character and everyone wants to be Sherlock.
I finished the Salem's Lot audiobook last night, that was a pretty good one. It's pretty amazing how there are so many characters in it, and they all have something to differentiate them from the others, they all get a bit of time and backstory.
I'd tell you to get right on it, but it's a pretty divisive work even among King fans, and it's long so there aren't many "it was okay" opinions, it's usually either people like me who think it's secretly one of his best books ever, or people who think it's a slog they wish they hadn't read. Best I can say is you should at least try it but if you get a couple hundred pages into it and are hating it you probably should drop it because it's not the type of book that people change their opinion later.
I've found things to enjoy in all Stephen king books I've read so far, including The Tommyknockers which I heard a lot of people don't like.
Oof...Tommyknockers...I actually enjoyed it my second time through and it's grown on me like alien psychic powers, but I won't begrudge anyone (including King himself) who thinks it's a slog, my first read didn't go so well.
Its definitely overlong and there are sections that aren't great but there are also really good parts too.
IIRC, Tommyknockers was prime King drugged up time. I think he's stated that he barely remembers writing parts of it.
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True and then Dreamcatcher was him doped up after his accident. Terrible book.
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I find it pretty funny during the lead up to the new movies when non-hardcore fans acted like it was some unassailable treasure that shouldn't be touched, when the new films were a modern attempt to adapt the material and NOT a remake of the mini-series. That said the movies are not all that either but that's a whole different subject, as a book reader I feel like they both failed just in completely different ways.
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Yeah anyone who feels that way should watch it today. It's embarrassingly bad. My daughter is laughing at most of it.
He is nothing if not prolific. A lot of it has to do with his work ethic, he gets into it in On Writing which is half memoir half how to, and probably one of the best practical guides for anyone who actually wants to get published and puts making it a viable career in front of unattainable dreams of writing the great American novel.
Yeah I need to read that memoir soon. It's always interesting reading and learning about how prolific figures churn out so much ouput.
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I really enjoyed Insomnia pacing issues and all. Ralph is one of the purest and humble characters King ever wrote, that made it a tolerable read at its worst.
I finished my Dark Tower read last year, and upon reflecting thought Gunslinger may be my favourite installment after The Drawing of Three.
The dreamy surreal nature of that novel was so intriguing. On top of that it, it isnt bloated like some of Kings other later novels.
Unfortunately I cant say the same for the later installments (*staring at Song of Susannah and The Dark Tower*)
I am fond of it as well. Don't love it but I do think there are many moments of worth in it, especially as his recovery book and the first real signs of his writing changing from an outward look at general mortality to a more inward rumination on his own. That said no matter how you feel about the book the movie is 1000 times worse and that ending just...ugh...offensively horrible, emphasis on offensive, especially to the mentally challenged.
Edit: removed quote and reply, thought he was talking of Insomnia. While I wouldn't call SoS "literally worst" it's Not very high on my list, though the Grand Guignol factor puts it over wolves of the calla for me.
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Song of Susannah is far better than Roadwork and Rage. I couldn't even finish Rage, it was that bad.
Mind a small snippet of his work ethic? I'm assuming it has to do with consistency and disciplined time blocks without distractions.
He treats it like a job, writes everyday blocked or not, doesn't take holidays or "book finished celebrations". Writes everyday for the same amount of time at the same time, again like a 9-5, can't be finished until he has so many words no matter what. At this point some of his published work must have been written purely out of habit.
