The plan is to reread all of Stephen King’s works in the order that they were published. Richard Chizmar of Cemetery Dance had the vision. I’m doing it because I am a writer and I want to improve my fiction. And I love Stephen King’s stories. I think there is something to be learned through this process.

You can also go back to the beginning and read Before Carrie or any of my other posts up through this one and beyond by checking out this link to the Master List of all my #StephenKingRevisited posts.

I recall years ago somehow missing that The Dark Tower series had concluded with The Dark Tower. At the time, I had long ago stalled on Wizard and Glass, the fourth book, so it wasn’t a huge priority for me. Later, as I was slowly catching up on my Stephen King reading, I became aware of The Wind Through the Keyhole.

So, what is this?

I thought this series was “done.” King’s entire universe of books revolves around this tower, so can it ever truly be done? There is also the notion that so much of The Dark Tower series is told in flashback. Is this novel going to be a flashback of our characters before reaching the Tower followed by a flashback of another story Roland tells? Maybe. I’m not opposed to revisiting this world even in that contrived state.

As I understand it, this story fits sort of between books 4 and 5. In addition, it is a story within a story within a story. God help us. My least favorite aspects of book 4 was the flashback. Now, we get another layer away from the world I’m interested in still.

King still has the ability to surprise me even at this stage of my reading and his writing. I’m willing to suspend my prejudices and travel to other worlds with him again.

My next post in this series will be After The Wind Through the Keyhole which will be linked on the Master List of all my Stephen King Revisited posts.

Jay Wilburn

Jay Wilburn has a Masters Degree in Education that goes mostly unused since he quit teaching to write about zombies. Jay writes horror because he tends to find the light by facing down the darkness. His is doing well following a life saving kidney transplant. Jay is the author of Maidens of Zombie Kingdom a young adult fantasy trilogy, Lake Scatter Wood Tales adventure books for elementary and middle school readers, Vampire Christ a trilogy of political and religious satire, and The Dead Song Legend. He cowrote The Enemy Held Near, Yard Full of Bones, and The Hidden Truth with Armand Rosamilia. You can also find Jay's work in Best Horror of the Year volume 5. He is a staff writer with Dark Moon Digest, LitReactor, and the Still Water Bay series with Crystal Lake Publishing.

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