The man in black fled across the desert,

[Aqua]

and the Gunslinger followed.


Thus started Stephen King's epic tale of Roland Deschain, The Gunslinger, and his quest for The Dark Tower. Tomorrow, sharing a release date with the Star Wars DVD box set, the final book in this series will be available to the general public. I have anticipated the finish of this story for some time and truly wish my friend skip was still here, as he was a great fan of it as well.

To any of you that have never read the first book, The Gunslinger, I say put aside any preconceptions you have about Stephen King and his style of writing, pick up a copy at the library, and give it a read. You'll probably find the new version will make more sense than the original and if you decide you must know what happens next, you'll not have to wait years for the next book.

I believe there are a few other Tower Junkies here... who else is buying a copy tomorrow?

[Lilith]

not me, but you know that I know that you know that I know who would have.

[darogle]

I'm a big fan myself! Thanks for the heads up...I hadn't heard that it was coming out. I'll be sure to pick a copy myself. And yes, for those that aren't big S. King fans, check out the gunslinger anyway. It is definitely a departure for him and in my humble opinion some of his best work.

[wyndhy]

^^^raises her hand^^^


me

[osuche]

**shrugs**

Sure ~ I'm in.

[FallenAngel5]

I will be there with bells on! Yay!

[LixyChick]

I never started this series of S.K. books (and I should have), but I saw Mr. King on a talk show yesterday and he seemed relieved (but in a post partum sorta way) to finally be done with it!

[nikki1979]

OMG is that today??? wonder if the basell have it gg make a call :D i need that book after the way the last oneleft mehanging!!!!!!!!


nikki

[Eliza]

I will definately be there. I've always enjoyed his work. But The Gunslinger has been one of my favorites. And it's leaked into many of his other novels too. Insomnia...and especially Blackhouse, the sequel to The Talisman. All awesome books as well. I have heard however that this one is to be his last. As a diehard fan I find it hard to beleive he'd give up. But..aparantly it's mainly due to his deteriorating eyesight.

Happy Reading!

[Catch22]

I only read H.P. Lovecraft myself.

[Aqua]

I know what you mean Eliza. Insomnia is one of my fave King books, even aside from the Dark Tower references. The first part of Hearts In Atlantis ties in to the story significantly as well. I picked up a copy on my way into work which I am now seeing was a mistake cause all I want to do is pick it up and read. *shrugs* All in due time.

[Lilith]

I just read Hearts, and it has me interested in starting the series.

[nikki1979]

its killin me, i called the book store and put a copy on hol dand hubby picked it up on his was into work he wont be home till 1am or later soooooooo ill have to start it tomorrow :( oh well patience is a virtue ive been told

nikki

[wyndhy]

there really are a lot of misconceptions about king's work. he's not all about scarey, supernatural, boogeyman under the bed writing. rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption comes to mind right now and there are tons of others, espesially his short stories. he is a master of the short story. and just a little fyi... there is a sort of pre-quel to the gunslinger series (besides the myriad books that tie into it in some way) and it's titled the eyes of the dragon, takes place a few generations "before the world moved on". not that i'm pimpin' for king, but i urge you to just give his stuff a try. scarey or not, you've got to admit the man is a first rate story-teller.

[Lilith]

His short stories are my preference(I am a short story junkie in general), his Bachman stuff. The scariest/creep me out thing I have ever read was a simple paragraph from Danse Macabre. To me he is the King ( npi) of the mind fuck. I have enjoyed many of his stories but just have not had the time to jump into the tower series....need to make time.

[Lost]

unfortunatly I'll be waiting till it comes out in paperback or someone drops the hardback off at the used bookstore I frequent.

I remember MANY years ago reading the original version of the story that was printed in a sci-fi/fantasy magazine chapter by chapter each month years before it was re-written into the book format. so yes, I will be looking forward to it

[OzKristin]

i bought it today, and can't wait to check it out, whoo hoo!!!!

[Aqua]

there really are a lot of misconceptions about king's work. he's not all about scarey, supernatural, boogeyman under the bed writing. rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption comes to mind right now and there are tons of others, espesially his short stories. he is a master of the short story. and just a little fyi... there is a sort of pre-quel to the gunslinger series (besides the myriad books that tie into it in some way) and it's titled the eyes of the dragon, takes place a few generations "before the world moved on". not that i'm pimpin' for king, but i urge you to just give his stuff a try. scarey or not, you've got to admit the man is a first rate story-teller.
Oh yeah wyndhy... Eyes of the Dragon is a real good tale.

And another King short story that people are familiar with, but often don't know is King's work, is The Body, known to most people by the film version, Stand By Me. Then there is the serial novel The Green Mile, also made into an excellent film.

Of course... he didn't become known for Horror without reason. :rolleyes: IT is pretty scary, and his short story The Mist actually had me afraid to turn out the lights before going to sleep. :o

[wyndhy]

IT is pretty scary.

pretty scary??? iread that book in highschool, i.e. way past the age of monter-in-the-closet-fears, and was scared to sit on the toilet for two months. :yikes:

[WildIrish]

actually had me afraid to turn out the lights before going to sleep. :o



AHA!!!!


So you HAVE slept with my wife! I knew it!

[Aqua]

LMAO @ WI!

Wyndhy ~ Did you see the TV movie of IT before reading it? I think that made it a little less scary... because I knew what was coming for the most part.

[wyndhy]

LMAO @ WI!

Wyndhy ~ Did you see the TV movie of IT before reading it? I think that made it a little less scary... because I knew what was coming for the most part.

nope and i was sure pennywise was a-commin to get me. :D i actually thought the movie wasn't all that much but prolly cause i read the book first and for the same reasons you had. plus the director and fx peeps could not come close ot what my immagination can do to me in a dark room with a scary book. and, i LOVED the mist. i wished it was novel instead of a short story when i finished it. after i read it we listened to the audio-tape and it was even scarier. the sound effects really creeped me out.

[wyndhy]

The scariest/creep me out thing I have ever read was a simple paragraph from Danse Macabre.

i meant to ask yesterday if this was because it was true. i never read danse macabre. it's about his thoughts on horror writting, right? is that why it was so disturbing, because it was real...or taken from real life anyway?

[Lilith]

I read it so long ago when I was on a King trip back in the 90's. There is a very short paragraph in it where he describe the terror of fumbling in the dark for a light switch and then having something reach out and move your hand closer to the switch. It was him describing how you take something that is already intense and then kick it up. I will not even try to turn the light on anymore. The possibility of it happening scares me more than the dark.

My son is 13 and I am not sure when I want to start letting him read his stuff. Anyone have a good suggestion as to what is the least sexual or graphically violent works?

[wyndhy]

lil, the eyes of the dragon that i mentioned before is a book theat departs from kings' m.o. he actually wrote it for his daughter 'cause she didn't like his scary stuff, and it's got a great moral. check it out:
http://members.tripod.com/~charnelhouse/eyesofthedragon.html

aside from steven king, the princess bride by william goldman and of course the harry potter series (i loved every one of these) by j k rowlings are all great books that challenge a kid to read something longer than a comic and deeper than the latest highlights magazine.

[Lilith]

Oh he's a crazy reader...has read allllllll the Hitchhiker's guides about 3 times now. I am trying to allow him to move to a tad more mature materials. He devours books and I love that about him. Makes it hard to ground him from electronics though cause he'd happily just read.:rolleyes:

I want to figure ut which is the softest King yet still scary. He's been through much of Poe's stuff already. I'll check out the dragon book.

[wyndhy]

ah, i see. i'm not sure what you mean by graphic. most of kings stuff isn't bloody and most of his stuff doesn't have much to do with sex either. okay. maybe tommyknockers or it or the girl who loved tom gordon? all scary books (although i'm not sure they can come close to poe on the creep-out scale :D). it's great that your baby loves to read so much, you musta done somethin right!

[BIGbad]

The opening scene of the Dark Tower picks up at the Dixie Pig where Jake and Pere are going in to find Susanna. They enter the pig to see...then Jake..and Pere...Ok I meant to spill my beans about what happens but I just can't do it! :D

Needless to say the opening scene is AWSOME!

[Eliza]

My son is 13 and I am not sure when I want to start letting him read his stuff. Anyone have a good suggestion as to what is the least sexual or graphically violent works?

Lil..I always thought The Tallisman was a great book for younger readers. It's kind of in the fantasy realm more than anything. I think that's where I'd start.

Eliza

[Lilith]

TY Eliza! I will check it out!

[Aqua]

Good Calls on both parts wyndhy and Eliza.

The Talisman is a really good. The character named Wolf (Right here and now!) is great. Eyes of the Dragon would be a good read for him too. It's set in Medieval times and involves a King, his sons, the court magician, and a tower. (But not the dark one.)
I would definitely recommend steering him away from IT, Carrie, or The Shining.

wyndhy ~ The TV movie for IT was alright in my opinion, but like you said... TV special effects cannot compete with an unrestricted imagination. After seeing it though, my imagination was tainted with preconceived notions.

[osuche]

Add tot he "do not read for kids list":

The Shining ~ I decided to read it in the 4th grade and it gave me the heebie jeebies for MONTHS. LMAO

[Catch22]

I take it nobody is buying the Paris Hilton book then? :D

[longsword]

Another King junkee .... can't wait to finish off the Dark Tower series.

Just for the record, best short story was the long walk (bachman books)... seriously twisted, followed closely by survivor type(Skeleton Crew).

[Lilith]

Yes Long Walk is my very fave too.

[nikki1979]

i am NOT happy about hte ending!!!!!!!!!!! OMG i just sat there mouth open and not sayin a thing for a few min!!! hubby laughed at me he thought it was funny . altho the FIRST ending i was very happy w the ones reunited! thats all ill say on it cuz i dont wanna give it all away.

~nikki

[BIGbad]

I thought that it was the best ending that King has ever written. In my opinion King has never been good with endings. Yes he wraps up all the loose ends but his endings never have a climax. Don't get me wrong the ending was not the best ever written by any author, just by King. This ending makes perfect sense for the story. It seems that Roland is just part of the wheel of Ka and is essential to the balance of the wheel. So to the Red King is essential. Both the dark and the light in perfect balance. Each winning a battle here and there but neither will ever win the war.

I am being vague about the ending as to not give much away. If anyone would like to discuss this further please feel free to IM me.

Long days and pleasant nights to you all.


BB of New York

[OzKristin]

I thought that it was the best ending that King has ever written. In my opinion King has never been good with endings. Yes he wraps up all the loose ends but his endings never have a climax. Don't get me wrong the ending was not the best ever written by any author, just by King. This ending makes perfect sense for the story. It seems that Roland is just part of the wheel of Ka and is essential to the balance of the wheel. So to the Red King is essential. Both the dark and the light in perfect balance. Each winning a battle here and there but neither will ever win the war.

I am being vague about the ending as to not give much away. If anyone would like to discuss this further please feel free to IM me.

Long days and pleasant nights to you all.


BB of New York


damn BigBad, well put! You put exactly what I wanted to say about the last book better than anyone I have talked to about this book!
I would also love to futher discuss this series w/ anyone else, please feel free to pm me or IM me if you would like to..it is so refreshing to be able to find other Dark Tower obsessers like myself! hehe

[Mae]

Looks like I'll have to pick up the Dark Tower books at the local used book store. I'd read the first 2 or 3 quite awhile ago. I need to refresh my memory. I did enjoy reading the Green Mile. Did not see the movie. My favorite Stephen King book is not a novel. It's his book called "On Writing". Sort of a biography. He takes you down his memory lane and gives great ideas on how to write. Down to earth. After that, it's the "Dead Zone" book, movie with Christopher Walken, and I can kind of get into the series.

[Aqua]

Lilith... now's your chance to read the Gunslinger series. :D

[Lilith]

LOL...I won't be down that long:D

[Aqua]

Aye... but long enough to get started! (And hooked! :D )

[FallenAngel5]

I've been thinking about picking them up again. :) While I have no class and all...