The only thing Stephen King loves more than killing off his characters is telling you he’s about to kill off his characters. From Pet Sematary to It, he is the master of making his readers fall in love with a character, only to turn around and announce their imminent deaths…
Tag Archives: Stephen King
Oh Discordia & Double Standards In The Dark Tower
I had never thought about Calvin Tower and Mia, Daughter of None, in connection with one another before; they’re separated by split storylines that never directly intersect. But reading these two stanzas back-to-back forced me to think about why King juxtaposes the bibliophilic hoarder with the sex demon-turned-mortal…
The Power Of Promises In The Dark Tower
There are countless reasons that promises are broken. Sometimes it’s purposeful, sometimes it’s out of anyone’s control. Either way, the fact is that promises are not magic spells. They are easy to break…
Obsessing over Obsession in Song of Susannah
As we begin Song of Susannah, Susannah/Mia has gone missing and Eddie is so hell-bent on finding her that he wants to follow her up a treacherous mountain path in the middle of the night…
The Gestation of Stephen King’s Chap
After nine weeks of reading about palaver and preparation, the ka-tet’s showdown with the titular Wolves has finally come to pass.
Is Jake Chambers An LGBTQ Character?
Every time I’ve read this series, viewing things through the narrow lens of a straight white male, I’ve always assumed that Jake is also a straight white male. This time around, back when I was still reading The Gunslinger, I considered for the first time that Jake—while definitely being white and male—might not be straight. I wanted to wait until I got to Wolves of the Calla before exploring the idea further, so I could reexamine his relationship with Benny Slightman the Younger a little more closely. Are they just friends, or is there more going on there? Since I began this installment in the series I’ve been waiting for the right week to devote to the subject of Jake’s sexuality. Now, as ka would have it, reading the chapter in which Jake literally hides in a closet just happens to coincide with Pride month, so here we go…
Who You Gonna Cal?
So what is the difference between these two men? These two “Cals”? Why does the ka-tet embrace one and have contempt for the other when they have so much in common?
A Priest & A Manni Walk Into A Bar: Organized Religion In The Dark Tower
Roland is knowledgeable enough and diplomatic enough that he can hold palaver with Henchick or Callahan without appearing ignorant or insulting them, but the gunslinger has no respect for religion…
Second Guessing Stephen King: Getting To The Bottom Of Roland’s Grow-Bag
King’s liberal use of ambiguity is one of my favorite things about this series, especially when it comes to the lingering magic in Roland’s world. But for some reason, this particular piece of gunna always stuck out to me as half-baked and shoe-horned in…
Songs of the Dark Tower
Instead of doing what’s already been done, I’ve decided to highlight a few songs that aren’t officially Dark Tower-related, but which have undeniable (if only incidental) Dark Tower vibes…
Church of the Cosmic Turtle 