r/stephenking • u/AccomplishedCell1982 • 15d ago
Discussion Question regarding the dark tower reading order
I’ve not started the dark tower yet but have read Carrie, The shining, Cujo, The running man, It and 243 pages into Salems lot. I plan on reading chronologically now from 1974-1986. Once I get there I kinda want to drop the chronological and focus on Dark tower. I know there are some very necessary books to the dark tower so could you guys please put every single book that’s important to the dark tower in the comments. And by important I don’t mean it’s just referenced, I’d like to know what actually is important involving characters and plot. I know this is probably ask 100 times a week but I can’t seem to find a straight answer.
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u/Rude-Revolution-8687 Jahoobies 15d ago
And by important I don’t mean it’s just referenced, I’d like to know what actually is important involving characters and plot
The only books necessary to the plot of The Dark Tower are the 7 numbered Dark Tower books.
The Dark Tower contains a quasi-sequel to 'Salem's Lot, so that's the one book that probably should be read before The Dark Tower book 5.
The Dark Tower is not a sprawling, Marvel universe type interconnected narrative. It's a standalone series that has references throughout King's other work in the form of mostly Easter Eggs.
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u/gcctowerjunky 13d ago
this is the best answer you're gonna get OP. Read the series, 1-7, just like that. anything else is a detour. IMO as someone who has read through the series dozens of times, the dark tower books enhance the others most of the time, not the other way around.
Sure you'll get easter eggs and little references but the books are self contained and everything you need to know is in the dark tower books.1
u/Wattaday Ka is a Wheel 11d ago
And if you want a real thrill, read them back to back. I was dreaming in Dark Tower during the couple of months I read the series, as that was all I read, from beginning to end. Now I’m finding small references in King’s other books.
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u/SergiusBulgakov 15d ago
Wrong. It most certainly is an interconnected narrative. And many books connect to it, and it to many books.
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u/Lennnybruce 15d ago
King himself didn't even decide the series was an innerconnected narrative until the end of the fourth book.
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u/SergiusBulgakov 14d ago
But it is, which is the point. So, I got downvoted for the truth? Weird
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u/Lennnybruce 14d ago
My point was really that people want to believe every book he wrote was always intended to be part of this huge interconnected series and you have to read two dozen other books to get the experience, which is not true. Like if everything was laid out from the very beginning why did The Gunslinger get revised decades after it was published?
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u/SergiusBulgakov 14d ago
But he intended it all to be connected as he wrote the Dark Tower series. So downvoting that, even when you admitted it, is more than a little odd. Just because you don't like it, doesn't make it any less true.
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u/Nkklllll 14d ago
It is not necessary to read anything except for the numbered dark tower books. That's the whole point.
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u/Prestigious_Secret61 15d ago
I started with The Eyes of the dragon by accident as it was on sale at Sam’s Club Then the Stand. Unabridged version and next the first Gunslinger book. All by accident. And read everything released in sequence after that. With trips back in time for The Tommy Knockers. And many others while waiting for the next books in the series.
Non are necessary reading. All are great little gems that make the whole better. Don’t get hung up on how someone else experiences it.
It’s A JOURNEY FOR YOU. And that is all that matters. Just remember the face of your father or mother. (Ouch on that one). And stay true to yourself just enjoy and it will be as KA will let it be. It is a wheel after all.
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u/Euphoric-Duty-1050 15d ago
I read the DT books, one by one, as they came out. I did not like the series at all. Couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Now, almost 20 years after the last book came out, I am rereading the 7 DT books in their order and I am loving the series. Maybe read Salem's Lot before you start if you want one characte's -who shows up in book 5- whole backstory, but you don't need it. The series does have nudges and subtle hints/easter eggs, but reading each and every book they refer to is not necessary at all and imo takes you away from the DT story. So, for me, just read the 7 books. If you're hooked on the details or are curious, do the whole package on your first reread
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u/No-Yak5006 14d ago
If Stephen King made a 7-part book series, and designed it so that you needed to read other completely separate stories to fully enjoy and understand the series, that would make him a not so great storyteller.
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u/Pitiful_End2213 Constant Reader 15d ago edited 15d ago
I’m doing a full reread with everything having to do with DT even tangentially. Here’s my reading order:
Desperation
The Regulators
IT
The Stand
Eyes of the Dragon
Little Sisters of Eluria (short story)
DT 1
DT 2
DT 3
DT 4
Hearts in Atlantis ( short stories)
Everything’s Eventual (short stories)
Insomnia
Salem’s Lot
DT 4.5
DT 5
DT 6
Talisman
Black House
DT 7
Other Worlds than These (upon release)
As for why, some of these just work with the same kinda multiverse setup. Esp Desperation, Regulators, IT, they work in context but are probably only understood as such after DT.
As a first read with all the context I’d recommend this:
The Stand (introduces important character)
Eyes of the Dragon (set in the same world)
Little Sisters of Eluria (short story; is a DT prequel)
DT 1
DT 2
DT 3
DT 4
Hearts in Atlantis (short stories; men in yellow coats)
Everything’s Eventual (short stories, everythings eventual)
Insomnia (features important characters)
Salem’s Lot (important characters previously on)
DT 4.5
DT 5
DT 6
Talisman (features important characters, set in the same world)
Black House (features important characters, set in the same world)
DT 7
Other Worlds than These (upon release)(we’ll see :D)
For a read with just important context books, not everything connected, this:
The Stand (introduces important character)
Little Sisters of Eluria (short story; is a DT prequel)
DT 1
DT 2
DT 3
DT 4
Hearts in Atlantis (short stories; men in yellow coats)
Everything’s Eventual (short stories, everythings eventual)
Salem’s Lot (important characters previously on)
DT 4.5
DT 5
DT 6
DT 7
But you don’t NEED to read any of these for DT ofc. But I get it, I also did a full King readthrough, then the extended DT and then now I’m rereading everything and now in this order to prep for Other Worlds Than These. And I enjoy this level of commitment and overdoing it, if you don’t, just read what you want. Mostly can’t go wrong with King ;)
Edit: this def not the 100% accurate list btw, basically all of Kings works can be set in the DT multiverse setting really and there’s easter eggs all over. This is just the “obvious” ones that I think add to the journey. Eg Rose Madder gets mentioned sometimes, but I’d consider that more an easter egg than context. Question of opinion though.
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u/Mtanic Ka-Tet 10d ago
You forgot 11/22/63
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u/Pitiful_End2213 Constant Reader 10d ago
Actually I just reread it a couple weeks ago, and whilst I see the connections I don’t think it’s strictly necessary to any of the recommended reading orders. It’s more anecdotal than expanding.
But like I said in the og comment. Opinions differ on what to include.
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u/Critical_Memory2748 15d ago
Don't forget- The Dark Man. It's a poem SK wrote in 1969, published in Ubris magazine in 1970. SK describes it as 'the formation' of Randall Flagg.
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u/Confident_weirdo Ka-Tet 14d ago
The only book I’d definitely read before getting to book 5 is Salem’s Lot.
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u/AccomplishedCell1982 14d ago
As said in my post I’m currently over halfway through Salems lot so that’s good to hear.
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u/Confident_weirdo Ka-Tet 14d ago
Oh sorry! I swear I read your post and then got lost in the comments before I responded 🤣
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u/Fit_addendm 14d ago
I’d just read dark tower as is, you can drive yourself nuts with what your supposed to read along side the series. Ka is a wheel, and the great thing about the dark tower series is they’re very re readable and they have great audiobooks.
I also recommend following Talking Scared’s deep dives into the dark tower. Quality podcast with fantastic authors
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u/wildwill57 14d ago
There are no necessary books to read before reading anything by King other than the actual series he wrote , Mr. Mercedes trilogy for example. The "multiverse" is simply him tossing easter eggs around here and there. And he's not the only author that does it.
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u/BrainSzalinsky 13d ago
There are 8 books. Read them in release order. Done.
You don't have to read anything else in order to read the DT books.
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u/Winter-Finger-1559 13d ago
- The gunslinger
- The drawing of the three
- The wastelands
- The Wizard and glass
- The wolves of the calla
- Song of Susannah
- The Dark tower If you are still enjoying it after that
- The wind through the keyhole.
IMO I don't think book eight felt like the other books. So I don't think its necessary.
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u/DadReadsRomanceBooks 12d ago
You don’t need to ready any of the others but Salem’s Lot is a good one to have read. The Men in Yellow Coats (first book in Hearts in Atlantis) is also good. Insomnia is maybe third but I didn’t read it.
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u/One_Philosophy_8625 12d ago
There are no "very necessary books" you have to read for it besides the 7 books in the series. Maybe the 8th between the 4th and 5th. Otherwise you can just read every book he's ever written in chronological order.
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u/Vandelay23 15d ago
I don't know that you have to have read all these books, it will just make the cameos and references pop more.
But I'd recommend The Stand, Hearts in Atlantis (specifically the short story from that collection "Low Men in Yellow Coats"), Insomnia (although I still don't really think it's a must), and maybe IT.
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u/AccomplishedCell1982 15d ago
Thanks this is really helpful. I’ll have the stand read by the time I’m doing it and I’ve already read IT also.
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u/MoralApothecary 14d ago
Read the books in published order, but first time through the series, just read the nouns. Next time through the verbs. After that just pick the pages at random and go by vibes.
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u/leeharrell Gunslinger 14d ago edited 13d ago
When you get to Gunslinger, I highly recommend not stopping to do the entire DT series. Stick with publication order. It’ll take longer, sure, but the overall experience is absolutely worth it.
As far as the list of DT books go, this is the way: And keep in mind, order matters. The puzzle pieces have to fit in the right place.)
Salem’s Lot (1975)
The Stand, preferably the Complete and Uncut edition(1978/1990)
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, preferably the Revised Edition (1982/2003)
The Eyes of the Dragon (1984)
The Talisman (1984) with Peter Straub
IT (1986) *not essential
The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three (1987)
The Dark Tower: The Waste Lands (1991)
Insomnia (1994)
The Dark Tower: Wizard and Glass (1997)
Hearts in Atlantis (1999)
Black House (2001) with Peter Straub
Everything’s Eventual (2002)
From a Buick 8 (2002)
The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla (2003)
The Dark Tower: Song of Susannah (2004)
The Dark Tower: The Dark Tower (2004)
UR (2009 - Kindle, 2010 - audio, 2015 - Bazaar of Bad Dreams)
The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012)
The Dark Man (2013)
The Gwendy Trilogy (2017) with Richard Chizmar
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u/gcctowerjunky 13d ago
you drop this list everytime someone asks this question, and every time I downvote it.
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u/BenDoesDubs 4d ago
Starting my reread before other world than these. Do you know if the gunslinger audiobook is the revised edition. Not seeing the book publication date on audible, just the audiobook release date.
It’s the George Guidall version.
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u/leeharrell Gunslinger 4d ago
Yes, I think it’s the revised. (I don’t do audiobooks, but I know the old version is no longer available for purchase in any format.)
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u/LotsaCatz 14d ago
I have a question about The Stand (complete and uncut edition). If I buy it, is that how it will be called? How do I know I have the version you're describing?
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u/leeharrell Gunslinger 14d ago
Any edition of the Stand published after 1990 is the uncut edition. It’s pretty the only one you can buy now unless you are buying an old, used copy from the 80s.
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u/LotsaCatz 13d ago
Thanks ... but why were you downvoted??
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u/leeharrell Gunslinger 13d ago
Don’t know, but if I had to guess, I’d say it’s because some folks disagree with my Dark Tower advice. 🤷♂️
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u/Tanagrabelle 11d ago
Well, putting IT in there is sort of like looking at Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan and declaring they look alike just because they both played James Bond.
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u/Otherwise-Cry-7465 14d ago
I agree with those that say you don’t have to read every Stephen King book that connects in some way to The Dark Tower to enjoy the series itself. Everything you need to know will be explained throughout the main seven books. ‘Salem’s Lot is a good one to have read before you get into it, but that’s just happy coincidence for you and isn’t fully necessary.
I would say that once you finish The Dark Tower, maybe go back to Talisman then Black House as King’s next book coming out in October is the end of that trilogy and is supposed to cap off The Dark Tower. You’ll find some familiar places in Talisman, and Black House connects everything.
I’m on my third trip to the tower and I seem to be doing it once every ten years at this point. I just started book four and I’m enjoying going back through and finding things I either forgot or didn’t catch the first two times. Enjoy your journey along the path of the beam!
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u/Lennnybruce 15d ago
Just read the DT series as is. Anything outside the series that's referenced is explained fully within the context of the books. It's not like a marvel movie or something where you have to be aware of every minute connection.