Stephen King confirms and announces "The Dark Tower: The Wind Through The Keyhole"

[Danny]

Dear Constant Readers, At some point, while worrying over the copyedited manuscript of the next book (11/22/63, out November 8th), I started thinking—and dreaming—about Mid-World again. The major story of Roland and his ka-tet was told, but I realized there was at least one hole in the narrative progression: what happened to Roland, Jake, Eddie, Susannah, and Oy between the time they leave the Emerald City (the end of Wizard and Glass) and the time we pick them up again, on the outskirts of Calla Bryn Sturgis (the beginning of Wolves of the Calla)? There was a storm, I decided. One of sudden and vicious intensity. The kind to which billy-bumblers like Oy are particularly susceptible. Little by little, a story began to take shape. I saw a line of riders, one of them Roland’s old mate, Jamie DeCurry, emerging from clouds of alkali dust thrown by a high wind. I saw a severed head on a fencepost. I saw a swamp full of dangers and terrors. I saw just enough to want to see the rest. Long story short, I went back to visit an-tet with my friends for awhile. The result is a novel called The Wind Through the Keyhole. It’s finished, and I expect it will be published next year. It won’t tell you much that’s new about Roland and his friends, but there’s a lot none of us knew about Mid-World, both past and present. The novel is shorter than DT 2-7, but quite a bit longer than the first volume—call this one DT-4.5. It’s not going to change anybody’s life, but God, I had fun. -- Steve King Whilst im a little wary of added content put in later if king has another story to tell set between the others that adds more im all for it. That said it cant be anything too major or it will throw the narrative off a little in rereads of later books?. like 'why doesnt eddie mention X?' yknow. Still been a while since i finished under the dome and got a hankering for a new king novel that interests me, gripes aside its more dark tower so im sold.

[Neil]

Oh God! Not another one! I've just started book seven now!

[Danny]

ka's like a wheel dude, it never stops spinnin'

[krakenslayer]

I've never read the Dark Tower series and never will, not now. I'll tell you why: I made the mistake of casually flipping to the back pages of the final book once, while browsing in a book store. Probably one of the bigger mistakes I ever made. People who've read it will know what I mean: I know of no other series in existence that could be as thoroughly, purely SPOILED by finding out the ending, as this one was. It's like someone telling you that Bruce Willis is a ghost before you watch the movie, only instead of just a movie it's a series of tome-like novels totalling tens of thousands of pages all serving as a build-up to this one revelation. I could never enjoy the other DT books now - Lord knows I tried with the first one - but I couldn't stop thinking about how it all ended and was just overcome with the futility of the whole excercise. I am an idiot. :P

[Danny]

i read them knowing the ending and was looking out for little hints i appreciated more because of it, seriously, the ending of the dark tower is literally irrelevant, its about the journey and they are still very much worth reading.

[clanglee]

What Hellz said. . . it is indeed about the journey. . . .I KNEW there was a reason that I was re-reading this series