"Dark Tower" series

**Mary Strickland** · May 19th, 2009

After reading the "Dark Tower" series (twice) there are two words I am curious about: sharp root and ironwood. Does anyone know what these are?

**Moderator** · May 19th, 2009

According to Steve, sharp root would be similar to a radish but hotter.

From Robin Furth's Dark Tower Concordance: "Ironwood trees grow in many of Mid-World's forests. Their wood is hard and durable. In fact, it's too hard to burn..."

**horrorchik** · May 19th, 2009

I knew what the sharp root was but was not sure about the ironwood

**wally wonder** · May 19th, 2009

ironwood is a real wood, a heavy dense wood. folk have made cross-country skies from them, probably an axe handle or two. slow growing and the word describes the wood.

**Damaris** · May 20th, 2009

Ironwood are real trees, and they really are very hard (thus the name). They never get very big, maybe 8 - 10 inches in diameter, and do indeed burn poorly. Mr. King didn't have to make those up.

**Bad Bear** · May 20th, 2009

Rather than starting a new thread, could a few members please tell me if - as an SK horror fan - I would be likely to enjoy the Dark Tower books? I'm not really into goblins and dragons and all that kind of stuff, but I am willing to give most sub-genres a go.

Thanks.

**Matticus** · May 20th, 2009

Yes, yes, 1000 times yes.

The surprise wouldn't be weather you liked them or not, it would be weather or not they changed your life.

**rose key** · May 20th, 2009

I don't know about the goblins and dragons, but there are Lobstrocities and vampires. Mostly, it's kind of a surreal western, but it's hard to describe in a few sentences, so I would say, GO FORTH AND READ IT!! READ IT NOW!!!

**Lencho_of_the_Apes** · May 20th, 2009

It isn't "goblins and dragons" fantasy the way you're thinking, though there are some elements of that. If I had to pick one genre to describe the series, I'd say it was more like science fiction than anything else.

If you read the first two books in the series and you're not hooked by the end of #2 it's possible you might just not like the series overall. (Note: #4, Wizard And Glass, is the most 'goblins & dragons' of the seven books.)

We all float down here.

**bopropadop** · May 21st, 2009

Originally Posted by Lencho_of_the_Apes

It isn't "goblins and dragons" fantasy the way you're thinking, though there are some elements of that. If I had to pick one genre to describe the series, I'd say it was more like science fiction than anything else.

If you read the first two books in the series and you're not hooked by the end of #2 it's possible you might just not like the series overall. (Note: #4, Wizard And Glass, is the most 'goblins & dragons' of the seven books.)

We all float down here.

Good point about sci-fi, Lencho. My local library has all the DT books in the Sci-Fi section, separated from his other novels in the Fiction section. Freaked when I couldn't find them the first time...