Dark Tower Books in Order: Complete Series + Extended Guide

The Dark Tower books in order begin with The Gunslinger and follow Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, as he crosses Mid-World in search of the Dark Tower. Stephen King blends dark fantasy, horror, science fiction, and Western storytelling throughout the series, while connecting Roland’s quest to many of his other books.

This guide covers every Dark Tower novel in publication order and story order, along with the direct short story, a practical extended reading order, the graphic novels, and the released movie adaptation.

Jump to:

• The Dark Tower Books in Publication Order
• The Dark Tower Books in Story Order
• The Dark Tower Extended Reading Order
• The Dark Tower Graphic Novels
• The Dark Tower Movie
• About Stephen King

The Dark Tower Books in Publication Order

If you’re looking for the best way to read the Dark Tower books in order, I recommend publication order for a first trip to the Tower. It preserves the sequence in which readers originally encountered Roland’s story and saves The Wind Through the Keyhole as a return to Mid-World after the main seven-book quest.

1. The Gunslinger (1982)
2. The Drawing of the Three (1987)
3. The Waste Lands (1991)
4. Wizard and Glass (1997)
5. Wolves of the Calla (2003)
6. Song of Susannah (2004)
7. The Dark Tower (2004)
8. The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012)

The Gunslinger was first published in 1982 and substantially revised in 2003. Most modern editions use the revised text, and that’s the version I recommend for a first read.

Although The Wind Through the Keyhole was the eighth novel published, King calls it Book 4.5 because its framing story takes place after Wizard and Glass and before Wolves of the Calla. I prefer keeping it eighth on a first read so it doesn’t interrupt the momentum of the original seven-book journey.

The Little Sisters of Eluria

• The Little Sisters of Eluria (Short Story) (1998) (found in Everything’s Eventual)

This direct prequel follows Roland after the fall of Gilead and the Battle of Jericho Hill but before The Gunslinger. It isn’t a ninth Dark Tower novel. For a first read, I’d place it after Wizard and Glass, when Roland’s earlier life already has more context.

The Dark Tower Books in Story Order

Readers who want the Dark Tower books in story order can use the list below. A literal chronological order isn’t possible without breaking apart the flashbacks and nested stories inside Wizard and Glass and The Wind Through the Keyhole, so this list follows each complete work by the position of its main framing story.

1. The Little Sisters of Eluria (Short Story) (found in Everything’s Eventual)
2. The Gunslinger
3. The Drawing of the Three
4. The Waste Lands
5. Wizard and Glass
6. The Wind Through the Keyhole
7. Wolves of the Calla
8. Song of Susannah
9. The Dark Tower

I think this order works best for a reread. New readers get a stronger introduction to Roland through The Gunslinger, while returning readers can appreciate the earlier placement of “The Little Sisters of Eluria” and Book 4.5.

The Dark Tower Extended Reading Order

You can understand the complete Dark Tower book series by reading only the eight novels. The connected books add character history, Randall Flagg appearances, Crimson King material, and a wider view of King’s multiverse, but they aren’t prerequisites.

There is no official extended sequence. My recommended Dark Tower extended reading order keeps the major connections while avoiding every minor shared name or reference.

1. The Gunslinger
2. The Drawing of the Three
3. The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition
4. The Eyes of the Dragon
5. The Talisman
6. The Waste Lands
7. Wizard and Glass
8. Everything’s Eventual
9. ’Salem’s Lot
10. Hearts in Atlantis
11. Insomnia
12. Black House
13. The Wind Through the Keyhole
14. Wolves of the Calla
15. Song of Susannah
16. The Dark Tower
17. IT
18. UR
19. Other Worlds Than These

From Everything’s Eventual, the two Tower-specific pieces are “The Little Sisters of Eluria” and “Everything’s Eventual.” In Hearts in Atlantis, “Low Men in Yellow Coats” is the key connection. I recommend reading ’Salem’s Lot before Wolves of the Calla, and The Talisman before Black House.

The Stand and The Eyes of the Dragon add important Randall Flagg context. Insomnia connects closely to the Crimson King and Patrick Danville. I treat IT and UR as deeper multiverse connections, so I save them until after the main saga.

Other Worlds Than These is the third Talisman novel, following The Talisman and Black House. Its official description connects Jack Sawyer’s story directly to Mid-World, so my advice is to read it after the Dark Tower finale.

Optional Dark Tower Companion Books

• Charlie the Choo-Choo (2016)
• Stephen King’s The Dark Tower Concordance (2012)

Charlie the Choo-Choo is the in-world picture book credited to Beryl Evans, a Stephen King pseudonym. Robin Furth’s The Dark Tower Concordance is a reference guide to the people, places, language, and mythology of the series. Neither is required reading.

The Dark Tower Graphic Novels

The Dark Tower comics adapt and expand parts of Roland’s history and the first two novels. Robin Furth plotted or adapted the material, Peter David scripted most of the series, and Stephen King oversaw the project. The graphic novels are optional, and I recommend starting them after Wizard and Glass or after finishing the prose series.

Beginnings

1. The Gunslinger Born (collects #1–7)
2. The Long Road Home (collects #1–5)
3. Treachery (collects #1–6)
4. The Fall of Gilead (collects The Sorcerer #1 and The Fall of Gilead #1–6)
5. The Battle of Jericho Hill (collects #1–5)

The Gunslinger

1. The Journey Begins (collects #1–5)
2. The Little Sisters of Eluria (collects #1–5)
3. The Battle of Tull (collects #1–5)
4. The Way Station (collects #1–5)
5. The Man in Black (collects #1–5)
6. Last Shots (collects Sheemie’s Tale #1–2, Evil Ground #1–2, and So Fell Lord Perth #1)

The Drawing of the Three

1. The Prisoner (collects #1–5)
2. House of Cards (collects #1–5)
3. The Lady of Shadows (collects #1–5)
4. Bitter Medicine (collects #1–5)
5. The Sailor (collects #1–5)

The commonly sold Drawing of the Three omnibus collects the first four arcs but leaves out The Sailor. I recommend checking the contents carefully before using an omnibus to replace the individual volumes.

The Dark Tower Movie

The Dark Tower (2017) stars Idris Elba as Roland Deschain and Matthew McConaughey as the man in black. The movie draws loosely from several parts of the series rather than directly adapting The Gunslinger, so I wouldn’t use it as a substitute for the books.

About Stephen King

Stephen King is an American author whose work spans horror, fantasy, suspense, and science fiction. He began publishing Roland Deschain’s story in magazines before collecting those installments as The Gunslinger, and the Dark Tower became the central series connecting many characters, places, and ideas across his fiction.

Looking for more books in order?

If you want more fantasy authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Fantasy Books in Order index.

• Books in Order (Full Index)
• The Lord of the Rings Books in Order
• The Wheel of Time Books in Order
• The Witcher Books in Order