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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Amph "The Dark Tower" series . . .

Discussion in 'Archive: SF&F: Books and Comics' started by Kuru-Dawson, Feb 2, 2008.

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  1. moosemousse

    moosemousse CR Emeritus: FF-UK South star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2004
    Can people please remember to HIGHLIGHT SPOILERS!!! I'm not half way through book 4 yet, I really don't want to know what happens at the end of book 7. Thank You.


    On a different note, has anyone read the comics? I'm tempted to get the book but I don't like that it's a hardback. Is it likely to come out as a TPB or will I have to get it as a hardback?
     
  2. JEDI-SOLO

    JEDI-SOLO Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 12, 2002
    If I'm not mistaken I thought I saw a TPB at Books A Million.
     
  3. moosemousse

    moosemousse CR Emeritus: FF-UK South star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2004
    I found a site for a Books a Million and the TPB wasn't on there.
     
  4. StarscreamPrime

    StarscreamPrime Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 9, 2006
    Sadly, I wouldn't expect "Gunslinger Born" to come out in TPB format until MAYBE the middle of this year. It could be sooner, or it could be later. (How I miss the simple days where Marvel didn't publish first-run collections into hardback. :()

    But to be honest, if you're currently on book four, then a vast majority of "Gunslinger Born" will be AWFULLY familiar. I thought it was a good mini-series, but the coming mini-series sounds to have a WHOLE lot more promise. (As in being a completely original story. :D) But the background material in GB is EXCELLENT. You'll learn a lot about the reign of Arthur Eld because of that.

    (And I DO apologize if I may have inadvertently ruined the latter events of the series for you. :oops: )
     
  5. Epicauthor

    Epicauthor Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 2, 2002
    Think about it, though, the only reason he got to the tower was through the help of his Ka-Tet. Eddie got them off Blane, Jake saved King, Susannah was the one who figured that Patrick could erase things.....He needs them.

    Another question I couldn't figure out: How did he end up with the horn in the end? Did I miss something? I went back and re-read it like 6 times.
     
  6. DRHJ9

    DRHJ9 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 19, 2003
    Epicauthor:

    You are right, he does need his Ka-Tet....but it is hinted that things would turn out different if he has the Horn of ELD.

    Instead of leaving the Horn at Jericho Hill, he picks it up. I don't remember if it says that in the book or not, but Roland was always troubled by not going back for the Horn. Roland is seen by the reader, about to chase the Man in Black (Walter) again. So we know that Rolands Gunslingers are dead. But this time, he has the Horn, which is probably the sigul he needs to end his quest. At least this is hinted at.
     
  7. Sniper_Wolf

    Sniper_Wolf Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2002
    DT's a great fantasy series. Probably my favorite literary fantasy cycle. Books one through three rank among the best pop fiction I have read. The Gunslinger reads the best when you come across it with almost no information about the series at all. So weird, minimalistic, and odd that it stands as the best book in the series.

    Wizard and Glass is an odd one. A lot of people find this to be their favorite when I find it to be the worst. The main reason is the flashback. While it is interesting to see Roland with Susan I felt that took up too much time. I much rather had seen more of the flashback abour Jericho Hill, the Fall of Gilead, and Roland leaving for his quest. Looks like the comics will cover that period.

    Unlike other people I enjoyed the final three novels though they did not reach the level of the first three. Your enjoyment of the last novel really depends on if you like the ending or not. It appears within the fantasy fandom that there is no middle ground on it. You have to read it to see if you like how King ends it or not.
     
  8. Epicauthor

    Epicauthor Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 2, 2002
    That was my take on it. All that has happened in our iteration of the cycle (Which I believe is the 2nd to last) will happen EXACTLY as it did before (Infinite Worlds mean infinite Eddies, Susannahs, and Jakes. Not the exact same ones we saw, but close enough), but this time he'll find salvation because he has the horn.

    Again, is there any mention of HOW he got the horn and I just missed it, or do we take it for granted that this version of himself picked it up at Jericho Hill?
     
  9. DRHJ9

    DRHJ9 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 19, 2003
    To tell you the truth, I don't recall. I lent my books to my cousin, so I can't look at the moment :oops: But...Since Jericho Hill is where he lost it the first time, or didn't pick it up, I assumed he picked it up this time. I also agree, he would meet up with his Ka-Tet (Eddie, Susannah, Jake, and Maybe Oy) I believe he needs them.
     
  10. JEDI-SOLO

    JEDI-SOLO Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 12, 2002
    Oy was the coolest animal sidekick of any fantasy. He was great.
     
  11. DRHJ9

    DRHJ9 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 19, 2003
    A hero to the end....

     
  12. moosemousse

    moosemousse CR Emeritus: FF-UK South star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2004
    I'm still reading Book IV and I'm having a slight problem. Somewhere along the lines everyone ends up sounding like Mr Gibbs from the PotC films. :oops:
     
  13. JEDI-SOLO

    JEDI-SOLO Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 12, 2002
    Yeah my mistake, the one I saw BAM was a HC.
     
  14. Jedi_Daniel

    Jedi_Daniel Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 16, 2002
    I'm a bit of a Stephen King fan. The Dark Tower is my favorite epic series of all time, it actually helped me get through some tough times (though the last book had my bawling like a baby). It's great reading the countless books that connect to it. I'm also looking forward to the next installment of the comic.

    Except for The Green Mile, Hearts In Atlantis, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redeption, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, The Body (Stand By Me), The Colorado Kid, Lisey's Story, Duma Key, The Talisman, All You Loved Will Be Carried Away, Everything's Eventual, Blaze, Dolorus Claiborne, The Running Man, all of Dark Tower of course. There's more, but they might be debatable.

    I think typecasting Stephen King isn't the best thing, especially these days. There's a fine line between horror and suspense and I think more of his books lean towards the latter.
     
  15. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 20, 2002
    I don't know, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon was pretty freaky . . .
     
  16. 1Yodimus_Prime

    1Yodimus_Prime Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 13, 2004
    [rant]Damn it, support your local comic books store. Go to google maps, find out where it is, go there, and ask them for it. If whatever obsure thing you want exists anywhere at all, then there is a one hundred percent chance they will find it, and you will eventually have it.[/rant] :p

    I loved "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" but yeah, it's delves deep into the frightening realities of being lost in the woods, so not exactly spook-free. Lisey's Story is a great character study, and for that reason wouldn't fit neatly into the horror category by a long shot...then again, he still managed to wedge a Lovecraftian Old God into the plot. Duma Key, on the other hand - just got into that one recently - and it most definitely has no hint of horror to it whatsoever. Also: slightly less impenetrable than Lisey's Story. His penchant for assigning words or phrases within the narrative to specific characters went a little overboard in that one.

    But I don't care whether you're a fan or horror or not, "Pet Sematary" is brilliant and I recommend it highly.

    I just started book 1 of the Dark Tower series about two weeks ago. I was wary of it, because I'm not actually a big fantasy person (Star Wars excepted), but I can't not like a chracter who can shoot an entire town in the face. So the Gunslinger wins.
     
  17. StarscreamPrime

    StarscreamPrime Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 9, 2006
    While this thread is experiencing a resurgence of life, I'd like to mention that, INDEED, you DT fans can still pick up a copy of the first issue of the new miniseries, "Long Way Home". Having read it, I can tell I already like it MUCH more than "Gunslinger Born".

    SPOILERS
    We get to see Roland initially become enslaved by Maerlyn's stone, and probably in my favorite part of the story, we also get to see the beginnings of Sheemie's adventures. And the Dogun shows up, again!
     
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