King's Role in SoS

[Empath of the White]

Indeed CK. At a certain part of Darabont's adaption of The Mist, my mind went back to that scene. And when King was introduced I had to put the book down for a moment. He injected a new level of realism into the series.

I think King's role was something like on the Bible prophets, recording what had already happened. On Roland's next go around, I think the Tower stories King wrote from this round will play a role to some extent.

[bangoskank1]

Expessily?

with all due respect if you look at this members flag you'll notice he's not from the u. s....probably should cut this person some slack..

[bangoskank1]

oh yeah one morte thing....I loved him being in the story.......loved it, loved it , loved it.

[Wuducynn]

Expessily?

with all due respect if you look at this members flag you'll notice he's not from the u. s....probably should cut this person some slack..

Your suggestion is duly noted.

[Arthur Heath]

I didnt like SK being in SoS at first. Then I began to realize that there probably isnt any other author that could pull it off like SK does. Then and only then did I enjoy him, writing himself, into the series. If your a household name and writing a series that has a cultish (avid) following and you can pull it off, why the hell not.

[Fathers Face]

I enjoyed it what with all the book's like Charlie the Choo Choo and the riddle book etc.... and all the Interlacing of his other story's it made perfect sense that Roland should at one point seek out Steven King. I often find myself wondering how many breaks Steven took while writing that part of the book. Talk about a stressful situation.

[The Lady of Shadows]

i thought it inevitable that roland's tet would end up in king's world. which is how i view this. i don't really look at it as king intruding on the story so much as the story intruding on king's life.

so much of what he's written throughout his life has been tower-centric. almost every thing has connected to the tower and roland in some way, even if it's only been a small way. and then when the accident happened i have to admit that my first thought, after sending up a prayer of thanks that he survived, was for the tower. my god, what if he hadn't survived? what if the tower had fallen? what if they had all been trapped there, in some kind of hellish limbo?

i don't believe that time is linear, i never have (and no, i really don't want to get into a long conversation about physics or matter or space or whatnot). i think in some very real way this story has been bursting into all aspects of his life for his entire life. since childhood. it only makes sense that a piece of himself would end up in it. so for roland and eddie, and then roland and jake, to end up in king's life and world, in the keystone world, was inevitable. he didn't put himself in the story, the story put him in the story - if we don't like it, well then it's a good thing we don't have to live it i guess.

[Wuducynn]

I enjoyed it what with all the book's like Charlie the Choo Choo and the riddle book etc.... and all the Interlacing of his other story's it made perfect sense that Roland should at one point seek out Stevphen King.

It made sense to me also. For me it was a surprise, which I liked. I actually was able to stay spoiler free.

[JRSly]

This was the one sorta big thing that I had spoiled for me. It was just a vague mention of King being in the story, and at first I was mad because I thought that would be the ultimate twist at the end....like the Dark Tower would end up being King's typewriter or something. So I was a bit relieved that wasn't the case and I didn't have the series' conclusion spoiled.

But I'm still torn on King's part in the story. I've only read the series once, Song of Susannah and the Dark Tower in early '07...so it's been a little while. If I missed certain points, and I fully expect that I have, please help to fill me in.

But I found King's inclusion a tad confusing. Honestly, a lot of the 'other world' business became a bit muddled for me and certainly is asking for another read through. But on King...if he's the creator, that really takes me out of the story and makes the characters and their quest much harder to invest in...and I don't really think this is the case, fortunately. But if he's not the creator, if he's just the vessel or the conduit, why is he vital to the story? Why can he not die? Gan's song will continue to be sung and Roland and the Ka-tet will go on, will they not? The Keystone Earth just won't have the account of it on their bookshelves. It seems to be conflicting concepts here...he's just the conduit, but...if he dies he can't create their story. Or have I flubbed something up?

And another aspect, that opens up more cans of worms, is that Walter mentions King at one point, I think it's in Book VI. So Walter is aware of him, and that he's important, but he doesn't see himself as a 'slave' or 'victim' to his whim the way Roland and company sort of do. And of course, the Crimson King knew of King, and knew he was someone to be feared. So...yeah, it gets hard for me to wrap my mind around what I even want to say exactly..but like above, it becomes this weird, seemingly disparate combination of ideas where Roland is fictitious but Walter is not, where the Dark Tower's survival is strongly tied to King's life or death...but King is just a storyteller.

Phew...does any of that make sense?

[Wuducynn]

This was the one sorta big thing that I had spoiled for me. It was just a vague mention of King being in the story, and at first I was mad because I thought that would be the ultimate twist at the end....like the Dark Tower would end up being King's typewriter or something. So I was a bit relieved that wasn't the case and I didn't have the series' conclusion spoiled.

But I'm still torn on King's part in the story. I've only read the series once, Song of Susannah and the Dark Tower in early '07...so it's been a little while. If I missed certain points, and I fully expect that I have, please help to fill me in.

But I found King's inclusion a tad confusing. Honestly, a lot of the 'other world' business became a bit muddled for me and certainly is asking for another read through. But on King...if he's the creator, that really takes me out of the story and makes the characters and their quest much harder to invest in...and I don't really think this is the case, fortunately. But if he's not the creator, if he's just the vessel or the conduit, why is he vital to the story? Why can he not die? Gan's song will continue to be sung and Roland and the Ka-tet will go on, will they not? The Keystone Earth just won't have the account of it on their bookshelves. It seems to be conflicting concepts here...he's just the conduit, but...if he dies he can't create their story. Or have I flubbed something up?

And another aspect, that opens up more cans of worms, is that Walter mentions King at one point, I think it's in Book VI. So Walter is aware of him, and that he's important, but he doesn't see himself as a 'slave' or 'victim' to his whim the way Roland and company sort of do. And of course, the Crimson King knew of King, and knew he was someone to be feared. So...yeah, it gets hard for me to wrap my mind around what I even want to say exactly..but like above, it becomes this weird, seemingly disparate combination of ideas where Roland is fictitious but Walter is not, where the Dark Tower's survival is strongly tied to King's life or death...but King is just a storyteller.

Phew...does any of that make sense?

No.

[JRSly]

Oh.

...This way to the exit, right?....

[Letti]

Nevermind, JRSly. Our Matthew always gives such answers.
I love your post and I will try to answer your questions when my mind doesn't refuse to work.

[Matt]

Don't pay any attention to him JR, he's anti social.

I actually agree with the confusion. I think King really didn't want to make himself the creator of the story even though he obviously is. I suppose that you could look at in the way that if a field doesn't get irrigated...it dies.

To me though, the story is about obsession and the Tower is a manifestation of that.

[Brice]

If King didn't write then he couldn't create Gan to create him so he could write.

[JRSly]

If King didn't write then he couldn't create Gan to create him so he could write.

Right, exactly.

It seems like something, like a few other elements, that you just have to go along with and try not to analyze and pick apart too much.

[theyspunaweb]

I really thought it was weird at first. In the end (well...I'm not completely finished reading the final book but half way)...so far, it's been fine though. I just was like huh? I mean, come on, putting yourself in your own book? Especially the one you want to be your very own "Lord of the Rings" and you put yourself in it, and make yourself be a key player, someone who has to keep his end of the deal or the whole thing just disappears? I mean I get if he never did write it we wouldn't be reading it...but...in the beginning it just felt a little like an unnecessary twist that King could have done without and kept the story going strong. But now it's just become a part of the story and it's fine with me either way. Clever, I suppose.


I told my mom about it, and she made a good point - he appears in all of his movies doesn't he? Why wouldn't he appear in a few, if not one of his own books. Might as well...

[Letti]

He appears in his movies??? Where? How? I might have missed something...

What always bugs me when I am reading those parts of King when Eddie or Roland or any other character is wondering if they are just some figures in a book.. and they don't really exist. I always feel a huge force to jump into the story to shake them and tell them: "You are as real as possible."
Yeah... that's what I feel however I am reading a book... madness.

[Matt]

I think in the infinite worlds of the Tower, all people in all books are real.

[Letti]

I think in the infinite worlds of the Tower, all people in all books are real.

Do you say there is a Roland somewhere from flesh and blood?

[VastOne]

I think the great sage and eminent junkie Henry would have been perfect in answering this if he never met Balazar's men.


Seriously tho, I think it was a perfect touch to the layering of the many paths and roads for the Tower and worlds in which it revolves.

And thinking SK does not have an EGO or just maybe bored with the billions of words he has written, I am sure the concept was gratifying and the decision to do it easy....

VastOne

[Matt]

I think in the infinite worlds of the Tower, all people in all books are real.

Do you say there is a Roland somewhere from flesh and blood?

I do indeed my lady, I do indeed.

[theyspunaweb]

He appears in his movies??? Where? How? I might have missed something...

here I may be a little off because I haven't seen the entirety of S.K.'s movies, but he's appeared in the ones I have, and I was quoting my mother. He always makes a small (and shall I say..."dorky"?) appearance in his movies. Like a delivery man, who says one line or something like that. You have to look out for his role in the movie but it is something special. I watched Graveyard Shift the other night however, and didn't see him (I may have missed it though because I was reading in between commercials) and I could have missed him or he could have started appearing in his movies later on too?

[JRSly]

I love King's appearance in The Stand miniseries...with as cheesy as the series is, his appearance amps up the cheesiness even more. When he first appears, I almost expect to hear applause and whooping from a sitcom live audience.

[VastOne]

I love King's appearance in The Stand miniseries...with as cheesy as the series is, his appearance amps up the cheesiness even more. When he first appears, I almost expect to hear applause and whooping from a sitcom live audience.

Tis exactly how I felt...

Now wouldn't it be awesome if The Stand was made into a full fledged LOTR type movie? I'd kill to see that done

[Letti]

Wow, thank you for the information. I have never noticed him but I hope I will in the future.