CARLTON FLETCHER: Stephen King challenge: Take on all seven ‘Dark Tower’ novels

He’s the king of them all, y’all.

— Arthur Conley

Don’t look now, but horror fiction master Stephen King has taken over the airwaves.

Go to Hulu, Netflix, Apple TV or any other streaming app, and you will see a landscape inundated with series inspired by King’s exceptional writing.

There’s “Welcome to Derry,” “11/22/63” (a cinematic take on his award-winning book based on events leading up to the Kennedy assassination), “Storm of the Century,” “The Outsider,” “Mr. Mercedes,” “Lisey’s Story,” “The Institute,” “Chapelwaite,” “Haven,” “The Mist” …

And the list goes on and on.

Don’t get me wrong. As a King fan, I’m not complaining about all this content based on the writings of this generation’s greatest horror fiction writer. If I were to complain, I’d have to admit that very seldom does a TV or movie production come close to matching with their vision the literary content of King’s words.

The second iteration of the “It” movie was a winner. “Misery,” “Carrie” and “The Shining” did justice to the works they were based upon. But so many have fallen short over the years, fans learned to lower expectations with each new movie/series.

I found it ironic on a personal level that the horror master’s works started popping up everywhere after I took on a personal challenge involving one of King’s most daunting projects.

I’d read – and own – all seven books in King’s sweeping epic “The Dark Tower” series, a project that pretty much took over King’s creative life for decades. The first book in the series, “The Gunslinger,” was published in 1982. The seventh, “The Dark Tower,” was released in 2004.

In between publication of each new book in the series, the prolific writer released a number of works, including some of fans’ favorites, but there was never any question that King was obsessed with the characters in the “Dark Tower” series. Many of them, in fact, popped up in some of the other books the writer released during this 20-plus-year span.

As I said, I’d read all seven of “The Dark Tower” books in the past, but after reading a story about King’s obsession with the series, I decided to read them again, back to back to back … well, you know. And it was quite an undertaking. The seven books cover 3,718 pages total, including 845 in the closing book of the tale.

Many fans expressed frustration because King wrote the seven books as a true series. One took up where the last left off, frequently leaving readers hanging as to the outcome of each new novel.

As I took on the challenge of reading the seven books of the series, I was easily drawn into the story of the Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, as he and a trio of compatriots he “drew” from different times in America into his world in a quest to reach the Dark Tower that stood at the crossroads of the universe and was in danger of collapse. (I know … you have to read the books.)

The seven publications – “The Gunslinger,” released in 1982; “The Drawing of the Three,” released in 1987; “The Waste Lands,” released in 1992; “Wizards and Glass,” released in 1997; “Wolves of the Calla,” released in 2003; “Song of Susannah,” released in 2004; and “The Dark Tower,” out that same year – manage to keep the reader’s interest as King takes Roland, Eddie Dean, Susannah Dean and Jake Chambers from world to world, always in his quest to reach the tower.

While all seven of the books are essential to the story, and each stands alone as compelling works, “Wolves of the Calla” includes some of King’s best writing and is far and away the pick of this litter.

Also, King readers, be forewarned: The writer uses the unusual tactic of making himself a vital character in the story, and, no, not just as an egotistical pursuit. He – Stephen King, the writer – is an essential character over the last two books, weaving elements of his own personal life into the story. I’ll admit, I found that off-putting at first, but in that way that only King has, he manages to draw you into the concept with the magic of his words.

I’m kind of anal in the fact that, once I start a project – be it self-imposed or otherwise created – I take it through to the finish. That was not a problem here. I am easily drawn into the writings of Stephen King, and that was indeed the case during this quest. If you have time on your hands and are drawn to intriguing, compelling yarns, join me in completing my “Dark Tower” challenge. It’s one worth taking.

Email Carlton Fletcher at [email protected].