The Gunslinger
Revised edition in 2003.
Written over a period of twelve years, The Dark Tower: THE GUNSLINGER is the first cycle of stories in a remarkable epic, the strangest and most frightening work that Stephen King has ever written. It is the book of Roland, the last gunslinger, and his quest for the Dark Tower somewhere in a world in which time has no bearing.
Against the weird background of a devastated and dying planet - with curious ties to our own world - the last gunslinger pursues the man in black. It is a time when man's thirst for knowledge has been lost, and the haunted, chilling land harbors strange beings: the Slow Mutants, less-than-human troglodytes dwelling in darkness; a Speaking-Demon, laired beneath a forgotten way station; and a nameless vampiric presence held captive in an ancient circle of altar stones.
Herein lies a tale of science-fantasy that is completely unlike anything bestselling author Stephen King has ever written. Indeed, it is unlike anything anyone has ever written!
Stephen King
Stephen King (born 1947) is an American writer of contemporary horror fiction, science fiction, and fantasy literature. An estimated 300-350 million copies of King's novels and short story anthologies have been sold, and many of his stories have been adapted for film, television, and other media.
Stephen King has written a number of books using the pen name Richard Bachman.
In 2003 the National Book Foundation awarded Stephen King the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower tells the story of Roland Deschain, a lone gunslinger on the search for the elusive Dark Tower. Why he's looking for the Tower, no one knows. What he expects to find there, even he doesn't know. All he knows is that he must get there, at any cost.
Along the way Roland meets up with many characters, and encounters many strange places. Roland's world is moving on, and he with it, a remnant of the past. Drawn to the brink of death, he draws three people from a very familiar world to aid him in his quest: Eddie Dean, a former New York junkie; Jake Chambers, a boy who has inexplicable ties to Roland; and Detta Walker, a woman who could be their damnation, or their salvation.
The Dark Tower consists of seven primary books, and includes one additional book that complement the series but is not considered mandatory reads. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Related series The Dark Tower Graphic Novels
Book Reviews
Gunslinger is the first book of The Dark Tower series. Many people have praised this book, but I must say that this book is pretty weak and so are the other books in this series. I thought that this book would be much better and more entertaining. I was very disappointed in it.