Reading Order (DT & related)

[lextune]

Hi, I just found this site while searching for the "perfect" reading order for the Dark Tower books and it's most important connected novels/short stories.

I tried searching around a bit for this topic, (I am certain that it has been discussed here at some point or another), but to no avail. I hope I can be forgiven for treading this ground again....

....anyway....

I am interested in putting together a suggested reading order for a friend of mine and welcome some input from other fans of the series. I have read all of King's works and of course see the connections nearly everywhere, but since the 7 DT books are themselves a long read I am trying to limit the non-DT books as much as possible (i.e. - only the most essential).

Here are the books, and ordering, that I have so far:

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
Eyes of the Dragon
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
The Stand
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
Little Sisters of Eluria (short story)
Salem's Lot
The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
Black House
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
Insomnia
Everything's Eventual (short story)
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower

I look forward to some interesting replies.

Thanks,
-Lex

[bopropadop]

I think that's a pretty good list and order. But make sure you read The Talisman before Black House if you haven't already. You'll be a bit lost in Black House if you don't.

[sam peebles]

I might also add Low Men in Yellow Coats, the first novella in Hearts in Atlantis, right before Dark Tower VII along with Everything's Eventual.

[lextune]

Thanks for the replies.

I suppose I need to work in "Low Men in Yellow Coats" somewhere. Even though I didn't really love it, it does indeed have a pretty strong connection. Where would you suggest placing it?

As for The Talisman, (which incidentally I absolutely love), I did not include it because it doesn't really have a very strong direct connection to the Tower books.

Do you really think that one will "be lost" if they read Black House without reading the Talisman? I would love to hear from people who read only Black House, (or read Black House before reading the Talisman), and get their opinions on how well it stands up on it's own. It is tough for me to imagine, since when it came out I was already a huge fan of the Talisman. Obviously you would miss some connections, but I tend to feel that the novel is still self-contained enough.

Remember; as I said I am interested in putting together a suggested reading list for a friend of mine, and since the 7 DT books are themselves a long read I am trying to limit the non-DT books as much as possible (i.e. - only the most essential).

[Sandman]

I might also add Low Men in Yellow Coats, the first novella in Hearts in Atlantis, right before Dark Tower VII along with Everything's Eventual.

very true, to me that was the best story in Hearts in Atlantis. I read all 7 of the tower books first then went in the order that interested me for the tie ins. Like I really liked Callahan so I read Salem's lot, then the Stand. I was also very intriged by Ted's "Connecticut Adventure" when I first heard about it in DT7

[bopropadop]

Do you really think that one will "be lost" if they read Black House without reading the Talisman?

Well maybe not lost (I said "a bit lost" LOL), but there will certainly be some confusing concepts I would think.

If the length of the novels is of great concern, I'd suggest you skip Black House altogether for now, read the DT series, and then go back later and read Talisman and BH in order. My two cents...