Jordan
The Eye of the World
✦
The Wheel of Time
Robert Jordan - 14 books
The other great fantasy epic of the late 20th century. Longer, more traditional, and equally obsessive in its worldbuilding.
fantasyepic
Series - Books in order
The Dark Tower books in order
by Stephen King - 8 books - 1982-2012 - Updated June 2026
Roland Deschain is the last gunslinger, pursuing the Man in Black across a desert toward a tower that holds the key to all existence. King's magnum opus blends western, fantasy, horror, and science fiction across eight novels and several decades of his career. The series connects to nearly every other King book in some way, making it the spine of his entire body of work.
King
The Gunslinger
✦
1
King
The Gunslinger
✦
1
Start with this book
Most readers should start with The Gunslinger. It gives you the cleanest entry point before continuing through the full series order.Read on KindleListen on Audible
Buy on Amazon8 books - read in publication order
Show orderPublication order
Contains affiliate links| # | Book | Published | Rating | Where to read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Gunslinger The GunslingerStart Slow and literary. The tone shifts dramatically in book two. | 1982 | 3.9 | |
| 2 | The Drawing of the Three The Drawing of the Three | 1987 | 4.3 | |
| 3 | The Waste Lands The Waste Lands | 1991 | 4.3 | |
| 4 | Wizard and Glass Wizard and Glass | 1997 | 4.2 | |
| 5 | Wolves of the Calla Wolves of the Calla | 2003 | 4.1 | |
| 6 | Song of Susannah Song of Susannah | 2004 | 3.8 | |
| 7 | The Dark Tower The Dark Tower | 2004 | 4.0 | |
| 8 | The Wind Through the Keyhole The Wind Through the Keyhole Set between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla. Can be read in sequence or after finishing the series. | 2012 | 3.8 |
Our recommended reading order
publication
King
The Gunslinger
✦
Best book to start with
The Gunslinger
Book #1, and still the best on-ramp. It sets up everything that makes this series work.
Similar series
If you love The Dark Tower, try these next.
King
The Stand
✦
The Stand
Stephen King - 1 books
King's other epic. If the Tower is his fantasy quest, The Stand is his post-apocalyptic one. Both share a mythic scale.
horrorepic
Comics
The Gunslinger Born
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The Gunslinger Born
Marvel Comics - 7 books
A comic adaptation of Roland's backstory from Wizard and Glass. Beautiful art and a good companion piece.
comicsfantasy
King
Mr. Mercedes
✦
Bill Hodges Trilogy
Stephen King - 3 books
King's crime fiction trilogy. A different genre but the same author and connected universe.
Explore more
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The Gunslinger is short and deliberately strange. Many readers struggle with it but fall in love with the series from The Drawing of the Three onward. Push through.
No, but many King novels connect to the Tower. The Stand, It, Salem's Lot, Insomnia, and others all have ties. Reading them enriches the experience but is not required.
It was published in 2012 but is set between books 4 and 5. You can read it in that position on a reread, or read it after finishing the main seven books.
Contains affiliate linksUpdated June 2026