The Dark Tower

[MrAK]

Wizard and the Glass was my favorite too. I'm curious about how they're going to incorporate the "shimmies" and concept of the universe rotting.

Is the kid supposed to be the coke addict in the book? Eddie was it? <-- Not at all a spoiler.

The cool thing about The Dark Tower is that it is supposed to be the universe that he refers to in many other books. While I've read a few of his books, I never went down that rabbit hole of reading every book that had references to the Dark Tower universe. I really liked the Dark Tower series when I read it. Wizard and Glass (#4) was my favorite.

[Irving]

I don't really remember the "shimmies" but I have a strong feeling that this is going to be a crappy one-off with no attempt to follow the entirety of the series. Similar to "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children."

[MrAK]

It's been a few years and a few concussions since I last read the series.

If I recall, the shimmies were supposed to be breaks or holes in the wall of our space / time continuum, sort of Stargate like disturbances that visibly manifested themselves in patches.

[Irving]

I'm tracking now. Those were in the preview I believe.

[JohnnyEgo]

I think the kid is supposed to be Jake. Spoiler? The big reveal at the end of the series is that Roland's quest was a giant repeating loop with slight variation, ala 'Groundhog Day'. I read an article in 'Wired' that said this would represent a different loop through the cycle then the books.

I didn't expect Idris Elba as Roland, but he is a fine actor who can pull off a taciturn bad-ass. It's Matthew Maconoghy as Martin/Walter that throws me off. Now every time the Man in Black gives an evil soliloquy, I will picture him high as a kite playing bongos.

I do not anticipate this to be good, but I hope to be wrong.

[Martinjmpr]

Wizard and the Glass was my favorite too. I'm curious about how they're going to incorporate the "shimmies" and concept of the universe rotting.

I don't really remember the "shimmies" but I have a strong feeling that this is going to be a crappy one-off with no attempt to follow the entirety of the series. Similar to "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children."

It's been a few years and a few concussions since I last read the series.

If I recall, the shimmies were supposed to be breaks or holes in the wall of our space / time continuum, sort of Stargate like disturbances that visibly manifested themselves in patches.

Wasn't the term "Thinnies?" Places where the world got "thin" and people/things from other dimensions could "leak" in or out?

[Irving]

Jake, that's right.

[Martinjmpr]

Is the kid supposed to be the coke addict in the book? Eddie was it? <-- Not at all a spoiler.

I'm assuming the kid was Jake, the boy that Roland travels with during part of his journey. Eddie was "the prisoner" (i.e. the junkie.) Eddie came into the series later than Jake, I think it was in the 2nd book (from my recollection the chapter was called "The pusher, the prisoner and the lady of the shadows" - the "pusher" was a psychopathic killer who liked to push people in front of subway trains, the "prisoner" was Eddie, the junkie, and the "lady of the shadows" was Susannah, the legless woman.)

The last two books were terrible. By the time I got halfway through the last one I really had lost interest but wanted to finish the series so I just sort of ground through it.

[Jamnanc]

It's going to change the dynamic a bit having Roland be black, Detta's interplay should be interesting. I'm excited. I like King's work and the slinger is his opus. There are references to the gunslinger in every king book I've read.

[JohnnyEgo]

Hadn't thought about that. Makes me wonder if they are going to radically change the Detta character, or discard her all together. Probably a whole lot less 'Honky' in the screen play.

I loved the first book and liked the second, but hated Wasteland when it first came out. It felt far less complete then I was expecting back then. Then came Wizard in Glass, which I thought was amazing. I've also grown to appreciate Wasteland more on subsequent readings.

I did not care for any of the books that followed, until Wind through the Keyhole, which I very much enjoyed. Made me realize that I enjoy King most for his ability to define characters through backstory and world building, and like him least when advancing the plot. He also isn't that great at writing endings. But when he is at his best at what he is genuinely good at, those portions of his books are absolutely enthralling.