Installment Two of my Stephen King Questions:

Where should I start when reading the Dark Tower Series? I know it has a lot of connections to King's other work. It doesn't even have to be in the series, as long as it has some connection to it and is a good place to start.

Cheers,
mackmania

Start with the first book of the series. That's where I started. I'm not a big King fan, but I waited for YEARS for this to be finished before I started. While I understand there are some tie-ins to some of his previous works, and you get an extra kick or two if you've read them, they are absolutely not necessary. The series stands alone. That being said, you DO have to start at book one, or you'll be lost later.

Have fun!

Start at book one. Then read The Stand and Eyes of the Dragon. Then move on to books two and thru four. Next read Insomnia. Then you can go on to books five thru seven. It is a lot and can be an overwhelming idea when you look at the amount of pages within, but it is well worth it. Read the books in that order and you will experience the world of Roland as others did and have the same surprises and suspense. Also consider reading It somewhere in there. Enjoy the ride, your in for one hell of one.

Also before you hit either the last or second to last book, read Hearts in Atlantis....
I'm going to be in Maine this week and I'm making a King pilgrimage to Bangor, just to see the town, not to stalk the author. Besides, my lawyer says I can't do that anymore...

I found the first book to be slow moving and hard to follow (this from a die hard king fan) but you need to read it to understand the character and to appreciate the ending when it finally comes. I think you'd be ok to skip some of the side books if you so chose, but reading them will bring you an ah-ha at several points during the story. actually to fully "get" the epic, I would read "Salem's Lot" before starting the tower series.

I finished The Gunslinger a week or two ago. I just finished Fahrenheit 451 yesterday. I am currently reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which I have never read (quite strange for a thirteen year old boy). I will then read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. After that, I will read Frank Herbert's Dune for the first time. Then I will return to Roland and further quest for the Tower in Eyes of the Dragon and Drawing of the Three. Anyone have any comments on any of the aforementioned books?

Cheers,
mackmania

Farenheit 451 scared the hell out of me, for no reason other than the believability of where the "politically correct" trend could end up taking us.

Also "Black House" and "Insomnia" have references to what's going on in the "Dark Tower" series.

Knowing what we know about the bad guys in the Dark Tower series and their plans. Are there any references to Carrie White? (Can't go into more detail without major spoilage.)

I don't think Carrie fits into the series, though she certainly could have been very easily. King probably leaves it up to the reader to insert her or not.

Unless it deals with vampires or refers to Salem's Lot, I can't see why most Stephen King stories can't be worked into the Dark Tower plotline. Especially those with children with power since it turns out ("Black House") that the bad guys are collecting them.