The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

Published: 1982

The Gunslinger (1982) introduces Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger in a world that has 'moved on'—a post-apocalyptic realm resembling the American Old West but with vestiges of forgotten technology and magic. Roland pursues the enigmatic Man in Black across an endless desert, determined to reach the Dark Tower that stands at the nexus of all realities. The novel began as a series of short stories published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction between 1978 and 1981, later collected and revised for this limited edition release by small publisher Donald M. Grant. King conceived the saga as his answer to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, inspired by Robert Browning's poem 'Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came' and Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns. Initially reaching only dedicated King collectors due to its limited print run, The Gunslinger gradually developed a cult following before a mass-market edition in 1988 brought it to wider attention. Critics noted its distinctive, sparse prose style—markedly different from King's usual voice—and its blend of genres including western, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic fiction. King extensively revised the novel in 2003 to better align with later books in the series, stating that his 19-year-old self who began the story 'was drunk a lot of the time.' For many readers, The Gunslinger represents King at his most lyrical and enigmatic, with its haunting first line—'The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed'—becoming one of the most recognized openings in modern fantasy literature. As the first installment in what would become an eight-book saga spanning King's entire career, The Gunslinger established the foundation for his multiverse that would eventually interconnect many of his works.

Themes

• Epic quest
• Destiny
• Isolation
• Dark fantasy
• Good vs. Evil

Adaptations

• Loosely adapted into the 2017 film

Collector Notes

Originally published in a limited print run by Donald M. Grant. Early copies are extremely valuable, especially in fine condition or signed.