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Stephen King's Ultimate Dark Tower Buddy Read Planning Thread
message 51:
by
Chris
(new)
Jan 24, 2024 12:08PM
Iain, some of the thrown in stuff would probably have been published after that post, for context. UR had just come out and Wind in the Keyhole was about a year later...
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I mostly know SK titles from reputation, and recent ones because I have a coworker whose a fan and bought them and read them... like 11/22/63 and a few others...
What I like about setting up the BRs for standalone books early on is that they would then get their proper due as buddy reads in and of themselves. They're complex and rewarding enough books on their own that they and the readers deserve that.It could also bring in readers for the BR that are only interested in a King book here or there....Salems Lot on its own might draw interest for just itself.
Also, the tone and writing voice varies from each work. It can be very jarring for a new reader to jump into his other books from DT books and then back again....
Also consider that his style changed gradually over the 50 years this would cover...He did go and revise The Gunslinger to bring its language more in line with books 2-7...
Chris wrote: "Here's a possible suggested approach:2024 standalone BRs:
04.1) ’Salem’s Lot (1975) -- 668 pages
02.1) The Stand (1978/1990) -- 1348 pages
02.2) The Eyes of the Dragon (1987) -- 427 pages
04...."
That looks like a good plan.
Chris wrote: "What I like about setting up the BRs for standalone books early on is that they would then get their proper due as buddy reads in and of themselves. They're complex and rewarding enough books on th..."Agreed! That's what I was pointing out too. We're spanning decades of writing. Not just 5-10 years.
I love the layout, Chris. I think it’s a great idea. There are a few I haven’t read yet which would be fun for me.
Chris wrote: "Here's a possible suggested approach:2024 standalone BRs:
04.1) ’Salem’s Lot (1975) -- 668 pages
02.1) The Stand (1978/1990) -- 1348 pages
02.2) The Eyes of the Dragon (1987) -- 427 pages
04...."
That sounds like a good plan! Some of them I've already read and I would like to give Salems Lot a 3rd reread. I've read it as a teenager and found it really good, but the second time, years later, I don't know, it was less than expected.
I’ve never read Eyes of the Dragon and didn’t realize it had a strong DT connection until this thread.
Mod
I'd say early-July, early-August, mid-September, mid-October, mid-November... leave December open and start DT in January...
Agreed. *sings* Oh Nirkatze! Come and check in.
What are the chances she doesn't participate? lolAnd should we start thinking about Spooktober books soon before the month gets full?
The Stand will probably take the most time for people to read.Everything Eventual is around 600 pages. 14 Dark Tales is on the cover for that. This would fall into October by Iain's time table above.
I would laugh. Nirkatze drops in and says ‘nah, not interested.’
Mod
And should we start thinking about Spooktober books soon before the month gets full?"
Spooktober:
Bury Your Gays -- Chuck Tingle
What Feasts at Night -- T. Kingfisher
A Sorceress Comes to Call -- T. Kingfisher
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires -- Grady Hendrix
How to Sell a Haunted House -- Grady Hendrix
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls -- Grady Hendrix
There's a Giant Trapdoor Spider Under Your Bed -- Edgar Cantero (24 pages)
Crispin's Model -- Max Gladstone (34 pages)
Bioshifter: Volume 1 -- Thundamoo
Bioshifter: Volume 2 -- Thundamoo
Kingdom of Needle and Bone -- Mira Grant (novella) -- Audible Plus
Final Girls -- Mira Grant (novella)
Square³ -- Mira Grant (novella)
Basically just a list of possible reads from authors I read for Spooktober 2023...
Mod
She expressed interest in the Dune thread...
EDIT:
Nirkatze wrote: "Felina wrote: "Also, Guidell does The Dark Tower series which is one of my favorites. I need to do a reread on those."
I'd be down for that! I've never read Dark Tower, but I keep hearing great th..."
Mod
Everything Eventual is around 600 pages. 14 Dark Tales is on the cover for that. This would fall into October by Iain's time table ab..."
Yea... I gave The Stand 6 weeks... are we reading the whole Eventual anthology?... that's a big one if so... but perfect for October...
Definitely Lone Women and maybe Horrorstör for me. Also I just tried to see if Chuck Wendig has anything planned for this year and he just posted a blog post that included this:The End of the World as We Know It, a King-approved anthology of stories set in the universe of The Stand. I’m writing a story for it now, and needless to say, it’s fucking awesome. Er, being included. Not the story. Er, hopefully the story! I hope the story is fucking awesome but I don’t feel like I’m the best judge of that I should stop talking now. ANYWAY I’M IN IT. And I’m super fucking excited for it.
Audiobook for Everything Eventual is 7hrs. Pretty short for 14 stories.
Ann-Marie wrote: "Definitely Lone Women and maybe Horrorstör for me. Also I just tried to see if Chuck Wendig has anything planned for this year and he just posted a blog post that in..."Nice! Congrats
LOL I just get off work and this whole thing has blown up like a balloon on steroids! I love it!I don't feel qualified to add to all the homework folks've been doing--y'all been working hard!--the first (and only) King I've read was the Fairy Tale BR last year.
I do like the idea of doing some of the more connected or more popular solo books first, and doing the Dark Tower as a regular series read... though I'd prefer to stick to one a month. I don't know I want to read more King than that in a month.
Mod
By audiobook hours, there are a few on the shorter side in DT. Keeping books at 1 a month is nice pacing. Though, people should keep in mind the longer volumes.
I agree on one a month. It’s a nice timeline for a series. Except when all you want to do is read Alex Verus.
I am a new reader and I strongly dislike horror, but love Sci-fi and Fantasy... Would this series be good for me?
I think so. I don’t think the horror parts are the strong elements of the dark tower though there are very dark concepts. The stand alone leading up to DT are very horror so beware there.
But actually don’t listen to me. Horror is my fav so I may be desensitized. 🤔
Choko wrote: "I am a new reader and I strongly dislike horror, but love Sci-fi and Fantasy... Would this series be good for me?"You can read Dark Tower series. It's primarily fantasy/SF.
You read Malazan, Sandman Slim, etc. A lot of the "dark" in Malazan would be considered horror. I have more negative memories from Malazan than most of King's books.
Choko wrote: "I am a new reader and I strongly dislike horror, but love Sci-fi and Fantasy... Would this series be good for me?"Only speaking for Fairy Tale, the horror aspects felt like classic movie horror instead of slasher fic gore horror... a lot of back of neck tingles and some body-horror, heart-pounding but not any "ewugh" reactions... it actually reminded me a lot of the Ray Bradbury from Spooktober, Something Wicked This Way Comes... or I guess the other way around, since I read Fairy Tale first.
I don't know if that would hold true for his other books though.
Salem's Lot is definitely horror - vampire gothic spooky story.The others, not as much. As Soo and Nirkatze said, horror elements but not really slasher film gross stuff in most of these....
King's early books tended to be more horror based, but as he developed his approach expanded to include more elements from other genres.....
Fairy Tale....hmm....is it DT parallel?.......No, stop. No more adds
Oh, speaking of. Nirkatze, I read both Fairy Tale and Something Wicked last year. Definitely a resemblance. If you remember, the Bradbury book was mentioned....and it's pretty clear that King wrote his book as an homage to SWTWC....
Okay, I left It off my horror comment....It's definitely horror, though it's epic enough to bring other things in.....That's the thing about having these pre-DT books set as their own reads. Folks can join or skip based on preference and not really miss all that much with the main DT series.
The extra books are not required to fully enjoy the DT series. They're nice and packed with Easter eggs, and Constant Readers will completely devour them all lol....but casual readers of the series won't be hurt by skipping any of them....
That case could be made for Wind in the Keyhole too, for that matter. It was written later, as an add on....I would include it, but the main 1-7 is the glue that holds everything together.
Wind in the Keyhole was fun. Should keep it in since it's part of the series. 🤗
Dark Tower? Still few left for me to read from this series 😁
Yah, this is the big BR plan to read DT and connected books. I think we agreed that Chris' proposal works. It's near bottom of page 1.
Chris wrote: "Oh, speaking of. Nirkatze, I read both Fairy Tale and Something Wicked last year. Definitely a resemblance. If you remember, the Bradbury book was mentioned....and it's pretty clear that King wrote his book as an homage to SWTWC..."Ooh, yeah, the more I think the more I remember... with the circus aspects, and the merry-go-round...
Speaking of the BR plan, do we want to go ahead and choose dates for the pre-DT standalones? From Chris's list:04.1) ’Salem’s Lot (1975) -- 668 pages
02.1) The Stand (1978/1990) -- 1348 pages
02.2) The Eyes of the Dragon (1987) -- 427 pages
04.4) Everything's Eventual (2002) (skip "Little Sisters of Eluria" for now)
04.5) Hearts in Atlantis (1999) -- 673 pages
As for that comment about Wars of Light and Shadow and Wheel of Time--the issue wasn't so much that the books were too long, rather, it was that the people who originally scheduled the BRs were not the people who ended up reading the BRs, so we adjusted the schedules to fit how and when we wanted to read them. There was a BR scheduled for the Stand a year or two ago, with a great schedule on it and everything, and no one showed up for it, not even the thread makers. I was eyeballing it but no one ever started...
There seems to be a ton of interest here, so hopefully we won't have that issue, especially since everything has audio, so the big reason that caused folks to drop WoLaS won't be a problem. But for eyereaders to join us, we might want to give the Stand two months with longer contest leniency for start dates, or steal the schedule from that older BR...
How does this schedule sound?
July 1st: ’Salem’s Lot (1975) -- 668 pages
Aug 1st: The Stand (1978/1990) -- 1348 pages
Oct 1st: The Eyes of the Dragon (1987) -- 427 pages
Nov 1st: Everything's Eventual (2002) (skip "Little Sisters of Eluria" for now)
Dec 1st: Hearts in Atlantis (1999) -- 673 pages
Short one lands at the beginning of Oct, giving plenty of opportunity to schedule more King for Spooktober if folks want, and two months for the Stand. Putting it on the 1st matches with the start of Dark Tower series for Jan of 2025.
Here's the old The Stand thread for schedule reference:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I don't think people need 2 months to read the Stand. It's not a hard to read book. Even with taking breaks for the heavier moments, it's an easy read.
I also appreciate the contest leniency on The Stand. That chonkster might kill us.
If folks want to schedule some other less connected King around Stand time, could keep fast readers engaged but not distract slower ones... could also narrow it to a month and a half if people like.What do folks think? Two months for the Stand? Less? More?
Mod
Mod
Timelord Iain wrote: "Could just flip with dragon tho"This works, and it builds in a little extra time for The Stand if some need it. The anthology is quick bits that won't take a lot of time, especially if we hold off on Little Sisters, which is one of the longer pieces....
For those with OCD that don't like skipping part of a book until later, it won't hurt to read Little Sisters ahead of DT. They just might not get as much out of it if they're not familiar with Roland the Gunslinger yet...
As for Hearts, really only Low Men in Yellow Coats is directly DT related, though I'd recommend reading the whole book as the other stories are connected to that one....
Looking at it though, finishing off the year after The Stand with those 3 books shouldn't feel like a heavy load at all....Dragon was written for middle grade/YA so moves quickly too...
I'd rather read The Stand for Spooktober personally so switching makes sense to me.
There’s so much talk on this thread lol. Just let me know which books to read and when please, once timeline has been finalized.
Same. I’m happy with whatever you all decide.
Mod
Timelord Iain wrote: "Could just flip with dragon tho"Do this & leave 6 weeks for the Stand. It's good to have December as time out. I know most people get busy around holidays.
Mod
I agree with Chris's list, though I would suggest Insomnia and IT as pre-DT standalone reads for sure.
I may or may not join this read. I've read all of King's works and the DT series twice now. But it's always fun.
Mod
Do this & leave 6 weeks for the Stand. It's good to have December as time out. I know most people get busy around holidays."
Maybe copy/write out your suggested order... we keep referencing old lists, and new people pop in with new ideas... it's constantly evolving/conflicting :)
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Elevation (other topics)Insomnia (other topics)
’Salem’s Lot (other topics)
The Eyes of the Dragon (other topics)
Horrorstör (other topics)
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