The Dark Tower

I really liked the first book, which was originally written as a series of short stories, because the ending was open and because it didn't try to answer every single question.

I bought the next three books, which were written straight out as novels, and I fucking hated them. Worse, I later read that SK went back and altered the first book so that it was in line with the later novels.

So the only one I own today if the first book, and it is the version first printed before he revised it.

>Where do I go from here?

Block him on twitter then move on to actual literature.

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>Forgetting about the self-insert
So many things go so wrong in the last three books of that series. The fourth isn't even terribad. The second and third are pretty good. I still think The Gunslinger is great.

Anything else King could write set between The Dark Tower books? I don't really think we need to see Flagg's side of the story in a single book, it would kind of cheapen things but I'd love to see more earlier adventures of Roland at the Battle of Jericho Hill and his first wanderings after all the Gunslingers are pretty much wiped out.

>>9644118
There are a few comic books, I think. And there's The Wind Through the Keyhole, one of the worst Stephen King books of which I'm aware, but that's more inserted in the middle of the series after he'd finished the first seven books than what you're looking for. Though desu Stephen King conceived of this story when he was on all kinds of drugs almost 50 years ago, and he and the world have changed since then. The story isn't necessarily worth investing much time or energy.

>>9644121

>Wind Through the Keyhole is terrible

I enjoyed the stuff with the skin man but the fantasy story was pretty shitty.

>You realize "world moving on" pretty much means King's mental state due to all the drugs he took
Suddenly things make more sense

>>9644138
>"world moving on" pretty much means King's mental state due to all the drugs he took
Well it originally meant that civilization had died and been reborn, but it turned into that when King realized he had to "finish" his story without the aid of drugs. I'm pretty sure it was a Dying Earth-type story until he tied the rest of his stories into it.

>>9644138
>I enjoyed the stuff with the skin man but the fantasy story was pretty shitty.
That wasn't a bad story but the entire framing narrative felt really weird to me, like he'd forgotten how to write the characters that he was portraying. It takes place at a very specific point in the journey to the Tower, and he'd written that a long time before Keyhole. This is going by my theory that King changed as a person while the world changed around him over the course of the 30+ year ad lib that ended up being these books.

>>9644148

Feels like he wanted to try a Brothers Grimm type thing then decided to switch halfway through I guess.

>>9644143

I'm aware of that but I guess it could also be an allegory for King's state of mind becoming clean.

Any post 2000 King books worth reading? Bought his JFK story not long ago since I remember reading the idea he tossed around in a Dark Tower comic and I liked it the concept a lot. Cell was pretty enjoyable but I couldn't even finish Duma Key, I've had Under the Dome sitting on my shelf since I first bought it just can't find the motivation to read it. Lisey's Story worth reading?

>>9644168
>Any post 2000 King books worth reading?
Hearts In Atlantis is a good book. Not a good Stephen King book, it's actually a good book. 11/22/63 is a good Stephen King book. Don't go near Cell. I have a copy of Dr. Sleep that I've never read because I never finished The Shining, so I can't tell you how that one is.

Anyone here read Salem's Lot? It was pretty good, IIRC, but I read it in high school during my King phase so I dunno.

Wizard and Glass best book, prove me wrong.

>>9644185
>dog farts

>>9644177

Salem's Lot is what got me into King when I was younger. Fantastic novel and one of the few of his that I think has an actual decent ending along with IT. I'll give 11/22/63 a read next then.

>Don't go near Cell
What was wrong with Cell? I thought it had an interesting concept but he really didn't answer much in terms of how shit originated. And yes, Hearts in Atlantis is probably one of his most underrated books ever. I don't really see it getting a lot of love at all much. Also that's 1999.

>>9644201
>What was wrong with Cell? I thought it had an interesting concept but he really didn't answer much in terms of how shit originated.
I didn't like it at all, it seemed like something he just shat out.
>that's 1999
Oh.

>>9644111
I actually really liked that. Yes, I realize I am a huge degenerate fanboi of King himself.