Several months ago I  read the new and revised version of The Gunslinger, having
read the original a few years ago. This new version is easier to read and foreshadows
the other books much better than the original.
       Although I've never been a big fan of Stephen King's horror books (I much
prefer Dean Kuntz for that genre.) This book is an incredible work, and I recommend
this series to anyone interested in Fantasy, Science Fiction, or even fans of horror.       
          
The Gunslinger is, at heart, a fantasy epic tale, but it is set in a western/fantasy
world with science fiction elements. I know that sounds vague but once you read the
book you will realize how accurate it is. It is impossible to classify as a single genre
because the world King has created is so original.
       The characters are one of this novel's great strengths. They are dynamic, like real
people, changing and growing over time. Additionally, they have an extraordinary
depth, no shallow one-dimensional characters here. These, you soon realize as you
start to "feel" with them, are real people. Real people who deal with honest emotions
and moral dilemmas. They act and interact, growing and responding which makes them
more real as the book goes on.
       Unlike a lot of the other Fantasy epic series out there, This one has an end in
sight. All of the books will be out by september of 2004, so no worrying about when
the series will finish. Also, don't think that this is going to be horror just because it is
written by King. He sprinkles in some scenes where they are appropriate, but this
book is very different from most of his other works in that regard.
       Roland, the main character, uses his guns and wits to pursue Walter, the man in
black (a wizard or priest or something else?) across the great desert. He must catch
Walter to interrogate him about Roland's greater goal: The Dark Tower, Linchpin of
time and space, which happens to be falling apart. Along the way, he deals with many
problems, some simply from the terrain and some which are traps laid by the man in
black. To tell more would give things away.
       
The Gunslinger (and the whole series for that matter) has something for
everyone. It has great characters, a moving story, one of the most original worlds since
Tolkien, and of course the beautiful prose which has made S. King the world's best
selling author. It has pistol wielding cowboys, chivalrous medieval societies, wizards,
demons, inter dimensional travel, mutants, ancient machines from the great societies of
the past and much, much more.
       I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It will open up your imagination and
change how you look at the originality of fantasy/Sci-Fi literature. As many other
reviewers have mentioned, you will appreciate it more after reading its sequels, but this
revised edition is still worthy of 5 stars as a stand alone text.

I'm watching you.

TexasHarley's Place