All the latest things I've written. 2025-05-05T10:00:00Z https://stevenbeg.net/ Steven Berg 2025-05-05T10:00:00Z https://stevenbeg.net/writing/dark-tower-reading-guide/ <p>I’m rereading Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, including the major works of the larger Dark Tower legendarium. My general preference when reading a series is publication order; but since I’ve already read most of these books, I decided to try coming up with a more narratively meaningful order. After considering what I remember of the books and how they fit together (I haven’t read most of these in twenty or thirty years), and consulting several online reading guides, I have determined what may or may not be one reasonable order in which to read them.</p> <h2>Inspirations</h2> <ul class="stack list-style-none" role="list"> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”, Robert Browning</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“The Waste Land”, T.S. Eliot</li> </ul> <h2>Prologue</h2> <ul class="stack list-style-none" role="list"> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger</i> (1982)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Stand</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Eyes of the Dragon</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Salem’s Lot</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Talisman</i>, cowritten with Peter Straub</li> </ul> <h2>Resumption, Renewal, Redemption, Regard</h2> <ul class="stack list-style-none" role="list"> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger</i> (2003)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“The Little Sisters of Eluria” (<i>Everything’s Eventual</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Dark Tower: The Waste Lands</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Dark Tower: Wizard and Glass</i></li> </ul> <h2>Interlude</h2> <ul class="stack list-style-none" role="list"> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>It</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Insomnia</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Hearts in Atlantis</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“Everything’s Eventual” (<i>Everything’s Eventual</i>)</li> </ul> <h2>Resistance, Reproduction, Revelation</h2> <ul class="stack list-style-none" role="list"> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Dark Tower: Song of Susannah</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Black House</i>, cowritten with Peter Straub</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Dark Tower: The Dark Tower</i></li> </ul> <h2>Additional Works</h2> <p>The “major” and “minor” designations are largely taken from <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/darktower/comments/wrr79d/the_one_true_tower_reading_list_order/">The One True Dark Tower Reading List Order</a>, which defines major works as ones that “either flesh out major plot elements (e.g. breakers) or the back-stories of important secondary Dark Tower characters” and minor works as ones that “explore themes or concepts shared with the Dark Tower world.”</p> <p>This is probably not an exhaustive list of works with Dark Tower connections.</p> <p>I’ve listed them here in order of publication.</p> <h3>Major Connections</h3> <ul class="stack list-style-none" role="list"> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Shining</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Doctor Sleep</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Firestarter</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Mist</i> (<i>Skeleton Crew</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Desperation</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Regulators</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Institute</i></li> </ul> <h3>Minor Connections</h3> <ul class="stack list-style-none" role="list"> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Carrie</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“Night Surf” (<i>Night Shift</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“Jerusalem’s Lot” (<i>Night Shift</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“One for the Road” (<i>Night Shift</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Breathing Method</i> (<i>Different Seasons</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Christine</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” (<i>Skeleton Crew</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“Reploids” (<i>Dark Visions</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Langoliers</i> (<i>Four Past Midnight</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Library Policeman</i> (<i>Four Past Midnight</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“Crouch End” (<i>Nightmares & Dreamscapes</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“Ten O’Clock People” (<i>Nightmares & Dreamscapes</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“Popsy” (<i>Nightmares & Dreamscapes</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Rose Madder</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Bag of Bones</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>From a Buick 8</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Cell</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Lisey’s Story</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small">“N” (<i>Just After Sunset</i>)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>11/22/63</i></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><i>Ur</i> (<i>The Bazaar of Bad Dreams</i>)</li> </ul> <h2>Guides Consulted</h2> <ul class="stack list-style-none" role="list"> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/darktower/comments/wrr79d/the_one_true_tower_reading_list_order/">The One True Dark Tower Reading List Order</a></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hTob-x4kST9S_lMl5pHiAmVmsXvBAmSjskQ_bCD9fN0/edit?usp=sharing)">Dark Tower Universe</a> (the document with the actual reading list from the above link)</li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><a href="https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/stephen-king-dark-tower-universe-reading-guide/">A Reading Guide to Stephen King’s Dark Tower Universe</a></li> <li data-stack-state="x-small"><a href="https://geekunchained.wordpress.com/2015/09/21/the-dark-tower-an-introductory-guide-and-expanded-reading-list/">The Dark Tower: An Introductory Guide and Expanded Reading List</a></li> </ul>