As we join Roland--the last Gunslinger in a world that has moved on--on his quest for the Dark
Tower, he is hot on the trail of the man in black, a small time sorcerer. We witness the massacre
in Tull, eat beans with Brown and Zoltan, meet Jake Chambers, and spend an uneasy night at the
Way Station. Eventually closing in on the man in black, Roland and Jake find a handcar and railroad tracks
that carry them under a mountain. Nasty mutants live beneath the mountain. On a tall trestle, as
they spot the man in black just ahead, Jake slips. Roland must choose between saving the boy (and
perhaps himself) or finally catching the man in black. We learn that there are other worlds than
these.
Dedication:
To Ed Ferman who took a chance on these stories one by one.
Firstline
The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger
followed.
Characters:
Roland - Of Gilead, the last Gunslinger.
Inhabitants of Tull - All dead.
Brown - A desert dweller, fond of beans.
Zoltan - The crow. Tak!
Jake Chambers - The boy at the way station.
The man in black - Walter, a sorcerer. No one else.
Publication States:
Trade HC: Donald M. Grant (1982) First Edition - 10,000 copies Second Edition Info: On CP, "Second Edition." 10,000 copies
Limited HC: Donald M. Grant (1982) - 500 copies
Deluxe Trade PB: New American Library (1988)
Trade PB: Signet (1989)
First Info: On CP, "First Signet Printing, July, 1989. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9"
Interesting Factoids:
The man in black was Walter. Not Martin, Flagg, or the ageless stranger. Walter.
