Ollanderssci-fi
Cover of The Gunslinger by Stephen King

The Gunslinger

Stephen King

A solitary gunslinger hunts a mysterious foe across a dying world, chasing clues to a hidden Tower.

First published 1976 · The Dark Tower

FantasyHorror

[DEV NOTE: Eventually use our own synthesized data.]

Explore from this book

More about this book

Story

Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, follows the Man in Black across a desolate world that feels both like the Old West and something far beyond it. The journey moves through ruined towns, desert stretches, and encounters with strange people, while hints of Roland’s past and the world’s history emerge in fragments.

As the pursuit continues, Roland meets a boy from another world and faces choices that deepen the book’s central tension: the chase is not just physical, but bound up with obsession, memory, and the meaning of the Dark Tower. The story withholds many explanations, using flashbacks and shifting episodes to build its mythology.

The book ends by widening the sense of what Roland is pursuing and why it matters, leaving major questions open. It reads as the beginning of a much larger journey rather than a complete standalone arc, with the narrative focused on atmosphere, mystery, and setup.

Connected books

Explore all
Cover of The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand by Christopher Golden

The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand

Christopher Golden, Caroline Kepnes, Wrath James White, Meg Gardiner, Bryan Smith, Bev Vincent, Joe R. Lansdale, Jonathan Janz, Gabino Iglesias, C. Robert Cargill, Hailey Piper, Tim Lebbon, Richard Chizmar, Alex Segura, Catriona Ward, Poppy Z. Brite, Michael Koryta, Alma Katsu, Josh Malerman, Cynthia Pelayo, S.A. Cosby, Rio Youers, V. Castro, Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes, Paul Tremblay, Usman T. Malik, Wayne Brady, Maurice Broaddus, Ronald Malfi, Somer Canon, Chuck Wendig, Premee Mohamed, Catherynne M. Valente, Sarah Langan, David J. Schow, Nat Cassidy · 2025

Try another direction

More by Stephen King

Cover of The Lawnmower Man by Stephen King The Lawnmower Man Stephen King · 1975 Cover of I Am the Doorway by Stephen King I Am the Doorway Stephen King · 1978 Cover of The Dead Zone by Stephen King The Dead Zone Stephen King · 1980 Cover of The Running Man+ by Richard Bachman The Running Man+ Richard Bachman, Stephen King · 1982 Cover of The Bachman Books by Richard Bachman The Bachman Books Richard Bachman, Stephen King · 1985 Cover of The Talisman by Stephen King The Talisman Stephen King, Peter Straub · 1987 · The Talisman

In the The Dark Tower series

Shown by first publication year; this may not be reading order.

Cover of The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King The Drawing of the Three Stephen King · 1990 · The Dark Tower Cover of The Waste Lands by Stephen King The Waste Lands Stephen King · 1992 · The Dark Tower Cover of Wizard and Glass by Stephen King Wizard and Glass Stephen King · 1997 · The Dark Tower Cover of Legends by Robert Silverberg Legends Robert Silverberg · 1998 · Pern (Chronological Order) Cover of Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King Wolves of the Calla Stephen King · 2003 · The Dark Tower Cover of The Dark Tower by Stephen King The Dark Tower Stephen King · 2004 · The Dark Tower Cover of Song of Susannah by Stephen King Song of Susannah Stephen King · 2004 · The Dark Tower Cover of The Little Sisters of Eluria by Stephen King The Little Sisters of Eluria Stephen King · 2008 · The Dark Tower Cover of The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King The Wind Through the Keyhole Stephen King · 2012 · The Dark Tower Cover of The Dark Tower Boxed Set by Stephen King The Dark Tower Boxed Set Stephen King · 2017 · The Dark Tower

Details

Authors
Stephen King
First published
1976
Genres
Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Westerns, Adventure, Thriller, Dystopia
Subjects
succubus · demons · American fiction · fantastic fiction · adventure fiction · science fiction · horror fiction · fantasy · Fantasy fiction · Ciencia-ficción · Adventure stories · Fiction · Cuentos de terror · Good and evil · Roland (Fictitious character : King) · Roland (Fictitious character) · Reading Level-Grade 7 · Reading Level-Grade 9 · Reading Level-Grade 8 · Reading Level-Grade 11 · Reading Level-Grade 10 · Reading Level-Grade 12 · Dark tower (imaginary place), fiction · Fiction, fantasy, epic · Roland (fictitious character : king), fiction · nyt:combined-print-and-e-book-fiction=2017-07-30 · New York Times bestseller · Roland of Gilead (Fictitious character) · Magic · Horror · Thrillers · Supernatural · Suspense · Heroes
ISBN-13
9781501143519

[DEV NOTE: Eventually use our own synthesized data.]