Stephen Kingis renowned for referencing his past projects in other works, and there are loads of books and short stories of his that tie intoThe Dark Towerseries.Stephen King’sDark Towerbooksconsist of eight novels and one short story, starting with 1982’sThe Gunslingerand ending with 2012’sThe Wind Through the Keyhole.The Dark Towerentries are considered to be some ofthe very best books by Stephen King, and the King of Horror himself has even considered them his magnum opus.
The Dark Towerseries is complex and layered with a lot of detail, so it makes sense that King would tie in his other works. However,the links to his other novels aren’t exclusively horror titles.Stephen King’s best non-horror book,The Stand, has a number of parallels and connections. King is undoubtedly a clever writer, butThe Dark Towerseries proves just how intelligent he is through his many subtle tie-ins to his other works.
8It (1986)
Pennywise & Maturin Have A Past
Even non-readers of King are familiar withItand the Losers Club, especially the novel’s iconic and petrifying killer clown, Pennywise, who is also known as the titular “It” as well.King’sItfocuses on the group through their childhoods and into their adult years,who are constantly haunted by memories of the demonic figure peering out through the sewers of Derry, Maine. Pennywise is one of the most notable villains from the King universe, and it is mainly him that is connected toThe Dark Towerseries.
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Maturin, or the Turtle, plays a significant role inThe Dark Towerbooks, but he is actually first introduced to readers inIt. Maturin and Pennywise are wildly different creatures that are both fromStephen King’s Macroverse.While Maturin is a wise and loyal figure, Pennywise considers him to be far too fragile and stupid,and it sees the Turtle as an enemy. Despite this, Maturin refers to Pennywise as a “brother.” While Pennywise doesn’t feature directly inThe Dark Towerseries, it is frequently mentioned and serves as an unseen villainous force.
The Macroverse is a concept that is very similar to the Todash Space, another large void between dimensions and alternate universes that is full of more unhinged King monsters.
However, there are also some interesting parallels betweenItandThe Dark Towerbooks.The Macroverse is a concept that is very similar to the Todash Space, another large void between dimensions and alternate universes that is full of more unhinged King monsters, which is mentioned throughout the series, but specifically in the titular entry.
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Pennywise is an enigmatic supernatural creature who feeds on humans, and although it does consume flesh, it also thrives on the fearful energy of its victims. This process is rather similar to Dandelo fromThe Dark Tower.Dandelo, a creature from the Todash, also feeds on emotions,but instead of fear, he fills himself up with the laughter of others. While this doesn’t sound particularly dangerous, part of Roland Deschain’s journey through Maine inThe Dark Towersees him rescue Patrick Danville, who Dandelo locks up to drain him at will.
7The Stand (1978)
Randall Flag’s Debut
The Stand’s main antagonist,Randall Flagg, who is arguably Stephen King’s ultimate villain, appears in many King novels. However,The Standis when the hypnotic sorcerer is first introduced to readers, a story about a post-apocalyptic world and humanity’s survivors dividing themselves into the sides of classic good or evil. Of course,Flagg is also the primary evil inThe Dark Towerseries, and he features in most of the installments,either as a prominent threat, in an indirect reference, or via a flashback.
Naturally,readers ofThe Dark Towerbooks need to be familiar withThe Standto understand just why Flagg is such a crucial figure in the King universe.It’s impossible to avoid learning about Flagg, as the first lines ofThe Gunslingerimmediately refer to “the man in black,” another title the character is often labeled as. However,The Standis connected toThe Dark Towertitles because it provides more context and backstory to Flagg, which then makes revisiting his debut story even more interesting.
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The titular novel reveals how Flagg ends up in cohorts with the Crimson King and how his childhood experiences impact who he has become.The abuse Flagg faced while growing up partially explains why torture is a default response for him. Flagg’s initial form inThe Standis described as a “tall man of no age” who dresses like a cowboy, which is very similar to Roland Deschain’s gunslinger appearance. While it isn’t confirmed whether Flagg’s choice of style is a nod to Deschain, it’s still an intriguing parallel.
Deschain crosses paths with Flagg several times throughout the series.
One location in which the pair meet inWizard and Glass, however, is Topeka.The pandemic-ridden and decaying Topeka is a nod toThe Stand, and while there are few survivors after the breakout, it is even more destitute by the time Deschain arrives inWizard and Glass.
6’Salem’s Lot (1975)
Father Callahan Is A Crucial Character In Later Installments Of The Dark Tower
16 Stephen King books tie into’Salem’s Lot, and itis also an essential read for anyone trying to gain a better understanding of the author’s universe, let aloneThe Dark Towernovels. The 1975 book’s narrative is expanded in the sixth and seventh titles in the series,Wolves of the CallaandSong of Susannah, with the former reintroducing Father Donald Callahan from’Salem’s Lot. Callahan is an important character inWolves of Calla, butwithout reading’Salem’s Lot,readers don’t understand why the priest is no longer able to set foot inside a church.
After Kurt Barlow forces Callahan to drink his vampiric blood, he becomes “unclean” and starts to burn when he approaches a church. Callahan then flees Jerusalem’s Lot and arrives in New York at the beginning ofWolves of the Calla, forced to live with the harrowing ability to sense vampires.Callahan’s experiences in’Salem’s Lotimpact his actions inWolves of the CallaandSong of Susannahmassively,but they also motivate him to destroy the vampires once and for all.
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Although Barlow doesn’t appear inWolves of the Calla, his role in‘Salem’s Lotties into the story in other ways.‘Salem’s Lotestablishes some details about King’s vampires, but Callahan learns about their different types inWolves of the Calla. Upon discovering that Type Ones are immortal, Type Twos are created through a bite, and Type Threes can only spread disease, Callahan takes the information and his past ordeal and applies it to his battle plan.
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Out of all theStephen King references to his other storiesinThe Dark Tower, there is one reference to‘Salem’s Lotthat is more literal and direct compared to other titles.At the end ofWolves of the Calla, Callahan comes across a copy of‘Salem’s Lotand is stunned to find himself as one of the main characters. Unsurprisingly, this makes him question his own sanity, but this choice in the narrative proves that King is telling readers that they need to engage with‘Salem’s Lotto truly understand the later entries ofThe Dark Tower.
5Insomnia (1994)
Ralph Roberts Has Visions Of The Events In The Dark Tower
Stephen King’s 1994 novelInsomniaincludes references to many of the author’s works, but its most important connection toThe Dark Toweris through The Crimson King. While the Crimson King is mentioned in other titles, he isn’t physically encountered untilInsomnia.Ralph Roberts’ struggles to get a good night’s sleep end up being beneficial in a fight against the Crimson King,a terrifying shape-shifting figure that thrives on chaos and pain.
Throughout the book, the Crimson King has his eyes set on a young boy. This is surprising, as it initially seems that pro-choice activist Susan Day is his main target. However, the child is Patrick Danville, who Roland Deschain saves from Dandelo inThe Dark Tower. This is a brilliant example of King’s use of lore in his works, as the Crimson King only wants to kill Danville because he is fated to play a part in the downfall of one ofStephen King’s best villains.
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Danville, as a child, experiences visions of the Crimson King, but more interestingly, he also sees Deschain.While Roland Deschain doesn’t feature inInsomnia, it’s fascinating that a young Danville becomes aware of the gunslinger years before they actually meet.
The book also establishes further general details aboutThe Dark Toweruniverse, too. For example,the bald doctors who recruit Ralph tell him about how accessing other levels of reality can help in their plot to defeat Atropos,which causesInsomnia’s protagonist to see a vision of the actual Dark Tower.Insomniaalso introduces the “Purpose and Random,” a concept that explains why certain things happen across the Dark Tower’s interwoven worlds.
4Hearts In Atlantis (1999)
A Short Story Collection From King That Establishes More About The Low Men
Hearts in Atlantisis a collection ofterrifying Stephen King short stories, all of which are interlinked with each other in various ways.However, there are several connections toThe Dark Toweruniverse, too. “Low Men in Yellow Coats,” one ofStephen King’s best stories about mind powers, is where readers first meet Ted Brautigan, a talented psychic or “Breaker” who the Crimson King wants to use to help destroy the Dark Tower.
Towards the end of the story,Brautigan sends Bobby Garfield a letter full of petals, which is a nod to the Dark Tower standing in a field of red, blooming roses.It isn’t untilThe Dark Towerthat it’s clear how integral Brautigan is to the Crimson King’s operation, but it’s amazing to learn more about who he was before the fictional villain gets to him properly.
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Hearts in Atlantisreferences the “low men” in a few ways. While they are a core part of King’s works in general, they are especially important inThe Dark Towerseries. For example,Sullivan sees a yellow coat while hallucinating in “Why We’re in Vietnam,” an item that the “low men” often sport.While it isn’t confirmed, there is reason to believe that Randall Flagg plays a part in “Blind Willie.”
Veteran Willie Shearman’s scrapbook on Carol and her involvement in activism mentions her working alongside the strict leader Raymond Fiegler. It is pretty common for Flagg to take on a new persona and name, but he often reuses the initials “RF.”While King has never officially identified Fiegler as Flagg, it is widely considered that the two are the same.Walter O’Dim, Flagg’s alias inStephen King’sThe Gunslinger, is referenced in the text, and Fiegler also possesses O’Dim’s ability to be “dim.”
3The Talisman (1984) & Black House (2001)
King’s Collab With Peter Straub Delves Deeper Into The Territories & Twinners
The Talismanand its sequel,Black House, are titles fromStephen King’s collaborations with authorPeter Straub.While there aren’t really many direct references to the books inThe Dark Towerseries, there are associations in terms of themes and connections to King’s multiverse. This is mainly through the concept of “Twinners,” two people who are extremely similar in appearance and serve as the others’ counterparts in a parallel world called “the Territories.”
WhileThe Gunslingerimplies that there is such a thing as the Territories,The Talismanconfirms its existence.In several of his works,Stephen King returns to the Territoriesand expands upon the idea. Several characters inThe Dark Towerseemingly have alternate versions of themselves, butThe TalismanandBlack House’s protagonist, Jack Sawyer, is one of the few characters who is confirmed to have a Twinner. However, Sawyer’s Twinner is dead, but this allows him to travel freely between the worlds.
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It has been speculated, albeit never confirmed, that Jack Sawyer is actually Tim Ross’ Twinner. Ross is a character from the fictional tale of the same name inThe Wind Through the Keyhole, and their stories are strikingly similar. Both Ross and Sawyer share a resemblance, embark on quests to help their mothers, and lose their fathers to murder. However,The Black Housesuggests that Sawyer’s Twinner may actually be Roland Deschain,as Sawyer eventually becomes a police officer, and Deschain frequently mixes up law enforcement with gunslingers.
The Blasted Lands inThe Talismanis described as being rife with fireballs and hellish creature.
There are a few details about the physical appearance of certain locations that suggest thatThe Dark Toweris connected toThe TalismanandBlack House, too.The Blasted Lands inThe Talismanis described as being rife with fireballs and hellish creatures, which is an eerily similar visual to that of the Wastelands inThe Dark Towerseries.
2The Eyes Of The Dragon (1987)
Randall Flagg Pops Up As The Villain In King’s Fantasy Novel
There aren’t many references toThe Eyes of the DragontoThe Dark Tower, but there are some small recurring settings and characters from the book series that crop up.The Eyes of the Dragonby Stephen Kingsees Randall Flagg as the main villain once again in an astounding fantasy book set in Delain, a realm fromThe Dark Tower’s prequel short storyThe Little Sisters of Eluria. Flagg serves as the advisor to King Roland the Good, andwhile it would appear that the King and Deschain are the same people or even Twinners, it’s never confirmed.
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One of the Barony cities that is also visited is Gilead, where Roland Deschain is from and spent his childhood years.There are several references to Garlan, too, which is where Flagg claims that he is from.Another link to Flagg is through the character Rhea of the Cöos, a witch who is first introduced inWizard and Glass. Her appearance inThe Eyes of the Dragonis brief but chaotic, causing disaster at every turn, but she later becomes a notable enemy of Deschain’s.
Not Every Tie In Is As Obvious As Others
Cell (2006)
Cellfollows graphic novel artist Clayton Riddell, one of the few who isn’t turned into a zombie after “The Pulse” event because he doesn’t own a mobile telephone. Before the catastrophe occurs, however,Clay attempts to sell a project of his entitled “The Dark Wanderer.”His main character is an apocalyptic cowboy who is seemingly identical to Roland Deschain.
The Shining (1977)
There are several other Stephen King novels that make minute references that are relevant toThe Dark Tower, but they aren’t necessarily a direct parallel. For example,The Shiningas a novel is mentioned inThe Dark Towerbook series, andthere is a nod to Danny Torrence, too.However, this is as far as it goes.
Everything’s Eventual (1997)
Stephen King’s 1997 novellaEverything’s Eventual, which was later added to a collection of the same name, follows Dinky Earnshaw.Earnshaw is a Breaker and has the ability to manipulate others through his artwork,and the Trans Corporation recruits him to kill influential public figures. He manages to escape the evil company by the end of the story, but both he and the Trans Corporation reappear inThe Dark Tower.
Readers learn that the Trans Corporation is a subsidiary of Sombra, another corporation that serves the Crimson King and is responsible for several events throughout the King universe, including trapping Father Callahan at the beginning ofWolves of the Calla.Earnshaw is also a minor character inThe Dark Tower, and he appears alongsideHearts in Atlantis’Ted Brautigan in helping Roland Deschain free their fellow Breakers.
11/22/63 (2011)
One ofStephen King’s best non-horror books,11/22/63,doesn’t directly tie intoThe Dark Towerseries, but there are a couple of details that could be considered such. For example,a specific model of the Takuro Spirit car is mentioned in a throwaway comment, and this vehicle is also seen in the post-apocalyptic Topeka inWizard and Glass.There is also a line of dialogue in which Jake Epping is asked if he knows about “the turtle,” which could be referring to Maturin.
Buick 8 (2002)
Stephen King’sBuick 8is another work that many readers consider to be connected toThe Dark Tower.The cars that appear inThe Dark TowerandSong of Susannahshare a resemblance to the titular vehicle, and the strange figures that emerge from it have similarities to the Todash monsters.
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Roland Deschain uses the alias Will Dearborn at one point, sharing a fake surname withBuick 8’s Sandy.Curt Wilcox starts reading a book by an author named Dr. John H. Maturin, a reference to King’s iconic Turtle.
The Mist (1980)
AlthoughStephen Kinghas never confirmed it,it is implied that The Arrowhead Project inThe Mistis able to create a thinny,a cloud of fog that allows creatures from Todash Space to escape through, which is also seen inThe Talisman, too. Tim Ross also sees large, towering tentacles inThe Wind through the Keyhole, which are resemblant of the titular figure inThe Mist.
Stephen King
Discover the latest news and filmography for Stephen King, known for The Dark Tower series, The Stand, IT, The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, Misery, the Bill Hodges trilogy, and more.
