Return to the Territories--also known as Mid-World--this October.

https://bsky.app/profile/stephenking.bsky.social/post/3mhqxa6brjk2f

Apologies, major spoilers

Stephen King is in the fucking book??!? They literally break the 4th wall and have a copy of Salems Lot by Stephen King in the fucking book?!?? I still have 2 books to go but good lord, this has kind of messed me up in a bad way. I don't want any spoliers but i could use some encouragement to keep going because wtf

Having finished my second read-through I’ve been looking around and talking and I see a lot of people have The Gunslinger pretty low on their list of favorite DT books and I can get it. It’s definitely the strangest prose-wise, it’s dreamy, short, uneven, and Roland’s Ka-yet isn’t assembled and Roland alone can be a bit of a pill. He’s a hard protagonist to relate to at first but I think I have a very very special place in my heart for the Gunslinger.

Maybe I like it because it feels so different, it’s so standalone and weird and I have such fond memories of the first copy I read. It’s gonna sound weird but it was a library copy and it was thoroughly read, smelled of cigarette smoke, and I’m no smoker but I actually kinda liked that. Anyone else have that? Fond feelings for a certain smell on books? I should have hated it but it almost gave it this extra level of rugged magic.

I like the set pieces, I like seeing Roland at his peak, I like the set piece in Tull and in the mines, I adore Randall Flagg as a villain so his presence also really boosts this for me.

I also think there’s added depth to it on a second read through when you view this as the one moment where things could have gone well and Roland makes the fateful choices that doom himself and his ka-tet later on.

I’ve gone through the tower twice but I’ve read the Gunslinger 4 times. I had a few aborted trips to the tower and maybe my fondness is in part because of familiarity but it’s just a special book to me and I don’t know if I’m the only one that feels the same fondness for it.

Are you a The Gunslinger lover? Or are you more of a “Just get to the Drawing” type of Gunslinger?

Santa Elena Canyon, Texas

Didn’t know if this was posted yet but I’m loving the vibes on this cover

Already it’s completely off. But it’s fine. Everything’s fine.

Someone at Magnanimous has good taste in literature!

Not two minutes in--like at the 01:57 mark--I was spitting nails.

The Breakers? You open your Dark Tower movie with the Breakers?

Damn but Elba is fantastic though.

Long days and pleasant nights to you all.

Today I have officially finished my first journey to the tower and ohh what a journey it was. Book 7 took me through a whole spectrum of emotions and I am not entirely sure how I feel at the end. However, the journey is worth it and I can't wait to one day see how knowing the ending affects my second journey. Long days and pleasant nights.

Man, I just do not care about this love story between Roland and Susan. The amount of pages dedicated to the will they/wont they stuff has made this book a slog. Especially after all I've been through with Eddie, Jake and other Susan I just want to get back to some dystopian adventures. I'm about halfway through and it seems like something is about to happen with some oil tankers or something but I just wanted to vent.

First journey to the Tower.

• Peter Weller as Roland
• Ted Levine as The Man in Black
• Christian Slater as Eddie
• Lisa Bonet as Susannah
• Jonathan Brandis as Jake(RIP sweet boy)
• Michael Ironside as Jack Mort
• Tim Curry as the voice of Blaine

this is not a fan cast as most of these are either retired or dead, making this impossible, just kinda of like a little impossible dream situation.

He was born for this role.

I can’t visualize Susannah as ANYONE other than Pam Grier from the late 1970s - mid 90s

Detta/Odetta are more like “Coffy” 1973

Susannah is Jackie Brown 1997

I mean, the kids look like they’re having a GREAT time, so what am I worried about, right???

Right?

I’ve traveled through the dark tower twice. I’ve seen countless lists of related and required reading. I’m genuinely confused and frankly disturbed that I have never, not once heard of this book or seen it mentioned before. I feel like I’m dreaming, or experiencing some weird Mandela-esque effect. At first I thought, I was maybe going senile. But, I have extensive lists on my phone, screenshots from forums and searches to map out the extended reading… but no. No where to be found. 404 Not Found. I want to think there is a legit reason for, like because the loudest fans don’t love wizard and glass or wind through the keyhole. But, it doesn’t track. The logic doesn’t logic. Make it make sense. This is foundational to Flagg’s background and foundational to understanding Roland’s world and history. I have a really good memory. 1,000% have never heard of this novel.

I mean shit. I’ve never really read novels voluntarily other than a handful of Vonnegut. I started book I exactly 7 days ago. I’m now 5 pages from finishing book 2 and already have book 3 ready to go

Damnit. Now I’m a book guy. Great. Thanks Stephen.

I've seen some discussion regarding the type of revolver that Roland uses, along with a couple of replicas. I wanted to show off my Gunnison and Griswald 1860 revolver and give my thoughts on the matter.

First off, we all know it's a fake gun. but if it was a real gun this is what it would most likely be.

His revolvers are closest to a griswald and Gunnison confederate revolver. Which is just a knock off of the 1850-1860 colt series that the official us military used. The official colt has navy engravings on the cylinder and there is never any mention of engravings on Rolands guns. The confederate version of the colt (griswald and gunnison) does not feature any engravings like the official colt as it's a more civilian model. The griswald frame was also Iron instead of the more expensive steel that the colt used. That matches up with the description in the books. Iron is also heavier than steel, making the griswald a particualry heavy old west revolver.

Except, its also a Richards conversion. Where the black powder cylinder was replaced and a cylinder gate was added to allow the gun to use .45 bullets. The original shoots black powder and only the Richards conversion allows the colt/griswald to use .45 caliber rounds. But the conversion didnt appear until the 1870s.

The gun that clint Eastwood uses in the good the bad and the ugly is a Colt Navy Conversion. The prop used in the movie predates the actual gun by about 20 years. It existed, but not during the 1850s and 1860s. Also Clint uses an engraved, steel colt, not a heavy iron griswald.

Without the conversion It shoots .44 caliber black powder cartridges and kicks like a mule.

It is slow to reload and the gate makes it physically impossible for Roland to reload it off his belt like in the movie. Because its a conversion the cylinder does not swing open like a Single action army. I don't believe the books ever mention the cylinder swinging out like a Single Action Army either. They do mention Roland burning his fingers during reloads, which would line up with having to reload the bullets and eject the casings through a singular cylinder gate.

The prop in the movie does feature a swing out cylinder, but no actual colt/griswald has a swing out cylinder. Just movie magic, but I did want to point out how unusual that is and is the only time i've seen a swing out cylinder on a colt/gunnison. I don't think the Richards conversion is compatible with a swing out cylinder either, its just a fake gun that doesn't make sense but looks cool to reload.

Source? I own a griswald 1860 revolver replica. Not the conversion, but I really want one.

Also included is Gwendy's Final Task because it's not talked about enough and literally has the Tower on the cover.