Fantasy seems to be the hip thing at bookstores this summer.
Muggles worldwide enjoyed the magic of another year in the life of
Harry Potter, bible-thumpers praised the latest revelation in the
apocalyptic Left Behind series, and politicos eagerly
received Hillary Clinton’s autobiography. If the trend continues,
today’s literary climate is primed for one of America’s most
cherished authors to reissue an overlooked classic in the genre’s
lofty traditions. The gunslinger of Stephen King’s Dark
Tower novels is back in the saddle, and anyone in search of a
good read shouldn’t miss the ride.

As with any great epic, an accurate plot description of the
Dark Tower is difficult to produce. On the surface, the four
novels chronicle grizzled cowboy Roland Deschain’s quest to reach
the fabled Dark Tower and save all existence from the evil
Crimson King.

Since the Tower stands apart from time and space, the path to it
is complex, leading Roland from his Arthurian kingdom of Gilead all
the way to New York City in three different decades. A
reality-hopping Western is a tough sell for obvious reasons, and
the true testament to King’s writing prowess is that this story not
only defies its zany description but also leaves the reader
wondering just where Roland could possibly go next.

Fans of King’s flair for the grotesque will delight in the
supernatural carnage that governs Roland’s dying world. Evil
wizards roam the landscape, demons offer help at terrible costs and
the distance between worlds grows ever thinner as the Tower
decays.

While the author has certainly succeeded in telling tales apart
from his horrific stand-bys, King is unparalleled in crafting
novels of cosmic showdowns between good, evil and the people caught
in between. The Stand, in particular, will be remembered as
one of the twentieth century’s greatest works of fiction. But
The Dark Tower stands above even that exemplary novel. In
fact, as far as fantasy novels are concerned, the only rival to
this epic would be Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings–these books are
that good.

What truly distinguishes King’s series is his commitment to his
characters. Roland could have easily been written off as a gruff,
stern pursuer of the Tower, yet King informs his reader of the
tragic circumstances that shaped his hero. Eventually, Roland
rediscovers friendship, and while this represents a major turning
point for the character, King never lets us forget that Roland will
stop at nothing to claim his prize–and everyone is expendable.

Book four in particular, Wizard and Glass, is almost
entirely a flashback that answers long-standing questions about
Roland’s formative years.

The supporting cast of New Yorkers showcases King’s ability to
transform even the most mundane elements of pop culture into a
memorable element of his fiction. When the tribal drums
accompanying a town’s ritual lynching of its citizens are revealed
to be the opening to ZZ Top’s “Velcro Fly,” an already chilling
scenario becomes even more believable. As Roland guides Eddie,
Susannah and Jake to the Tower, they guide the reader’s
understanding of difficult plot points.

Twenty-five years after The Gunslinger was published,
Roland’s quest will finally reach its end. The fifth Tower novel
will be released this November, and the final two arrive in the
fall of next year–a welcome departure from King’s agonizing
five-year cycle between installments. With The Gunslinger’s
prose almost completely overhauled in a new version to provide an
easier introduction to the Dark Tower, there has never been a
better time to discover the series. Read The Dark Tower
now–your children will ask about it later.