Stephen King's Dark Tower

[blakjeezis]

I've never been a big Stephen King fan. I've read The Stand, which I admit I love, and a couple of the Bachman Books, but for the most part his work doesn't interest me. It's not that I thing he's a bad writer, I just have never got excited for his stuff. I've never seen any of the films, I watched some of The Shining with Nicholson but it honestly didn't so much for me, adapted from his work, except The Stand mini-series which I liked equally as much as the book.

I got The Dark Tower boxed set, the first 4 volumes of the series, for Christmas and I haven't been able to put them down. I'm currently reading The Wolves of Calla, the fifth in the series of seven, and it's great. I have been completely drawn into the world(s) of the story, I've grown to love the characters, and when I put a book down I can't wait to pick it up again.

Apparently it's been a lifelong project for King, he wrote the first book when he was 19, his first project I believe, and the last one will be published later this year. There are characters scattered throughout that have appeared in other books of his. Randall Flagg, the Walkin' Dude from The Stand is in it, as well as a priest from, I think, Salem's Lot, Callahan is his name. But enough about that shit.

I highly recomend these books to anyone, especially if you're into Fantasy/Sci-Fi stories. These rival the works of David Eddings, Robin Moorcock, Terry Brooks, Weiss and Hickman, Arthur C. Clarke, Larry Niven, etc . . . High praise indeed for the genre. I wouldn't put it quite on Tolkien's level, but it's close.

<IMG SRC =http://www.blakjeezis.homestead.com/files/toyjeez.gif>
If I were any better, I'd have to be twins!!
<marquee><font color=red>2%</font> White people are so scared of blakjeezis<font color=red>2%</font></marquee>

This message was edited by blakjeezis on 1-20-04 @ 12:28 PM

[Tall_James]

I love this series and was anxiously awaiting the release of "Wolves of the Calla". However, I found it predictable how this installment ended and hope that the final two books wrap this series up better than I expect.



<img src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=tall_james">

Why am I always on a plane or a fast train
Oh what a world my parents gave me

[curtoid]

Actually his earliest work was a book called "Rage" which was eventually published as the first Bachman book, which he wrote when he was 16 or 17.

The movie version of "The Shining" was more Kubrick than King, in my opinion. The Shining and Salem's Lot are wonderful early books.

Few of the adaptations had done anything for me. "Carrie," which was based on his first book, I actually think is better than the book. Also, "Stand By Me" and "Shawshank Redeption" are out standing films (too bad "Apt Pupil wasn't, though; those three were from a four story compilation called "Different Seasons"). I also like "Misery," "Pet Semetary" and am a big geeky fan of "Creepshow." I also enjoyed "The Green Mile," but not as much as I thought I would.

Only a couple of his works have not been adapted at all (some of the newest ones, 3 of the Bachman books, that fantasy book, the ones with Peter Straub and - of course - the Dark Tower series), and many of them have been adapted more than once now ("The Dead Zone," "Carrie," "The Shining") - not to mention some of those that spun of shitty sequels!

Anyway, I haven't been into King for a long, long time. The Dark Tower books had just started to come out, and I knew there would be long lags between them, so I held off. However, with only two more left, maybe I will pick them up.

[KOP]

Today's terror alert brought to you by...
http://www.geekandproud.net/terror/terror.php

"Resist despair"

This message was edited by KOP on 1-20-04 @ 12:51 PM

[furie]

I read the first 4, I only really liked The Gunslinger. I view the others as a massive letdown.


<img src="http://tseery.homestead.com/files/zencow.gif">

[RocOutWithYACockOUT]

I've only heard of the Dark Tower Series. I've never read any of them. But with such good reviews from you guys , I'm going to check it out.

http://members.hometown.aol.com/gpigking/myhomepage/rocout.gif?mtbrand=AOL_US

[Se7en]

I haven't read any of the later volumes as I loathe to pick up a book series until I can read the entire series at once (I don't want to wait years waiting for the next book in the sequence to come out), but I can't wait until it's finished so I can read all of them at once.

Apparently it's been a lifelong project for King, he wrote the first book when he was 19, his first project I believe, and the last one will be published later this year. There are characters scattered throughout that have appeared in other books of his. Randall Flagg, the Walkin' Dude from The Stand is in it, as well as a priest from, I think, Salem's Lot, Callahan is his name. But enough about that shit.

That's the cool thing about King's work. He's published dozens of novels, and he's inserted bits and pieces into most of them which directly tie back in to his Dark Tower series. THAT is dedication and continuity at work.

<center><img border="0" src="http://se7enrfnet.homestead.com/files/bigosmelt.jpg" width="300" height="125">
<br>
<br>
<marquee behavior=alternate bgcolor="#FFFFFF">CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD, YE NOT GUILTY</marquee> </font>
</center>

[furie]

most of king's books are written by ghost writers. ever since tommyknockers


<img src="http://tseery.homestead.com/files/zencow.gif">