🗼 Dark Tower Reading Order Checker
Track your progress through Stephen King’s Dark Tower universe — main series, tie-ins & short stories
| Order | Title | Type | Year | Pages | Avg Hours | When to Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Gunslinger | Main | 1982 | 224 | ~6 hrs | Start here |
| 2 | The Drawing of the Three | Main | 1987 | 400 | ~11 hrs | After Book 1 |
| 3 | The Waste Lands | Main | 1991 | 512 | ~14 hrs | After Book 2 |
| 3.5 | 'Salem's Lot | Tie-In | 1975 | 439 | ~12 hrs | Before Book 4 |
| 4 | Wizard and Glass | Main | 1997 | 672 | ~18 hrs | After Book 3 |
| 4.5 | The Stand | Tie-In | 1978 | 1153 | ~32 hrs | Before Book 5 |
| 4.6 | Insomnia | Tie-In | 1994 | 787 | ~22 hrs | Before Book 7 |
| 4.7 | Black House | Tie-In | 2001 | 624 | ~17 hrs | Before Book 7 |
| 5 | Wolves of the Calla | Main | 2003 | 714 | ~20 hrs | After Book 4 |
| 6 | Song of Susannah | Main | 2004 | 432 | ~12 hrs | After Book 5 |
| 7 | The Dark Tower | Main | 2004 | 845 | ~24 hrs | After Book 6 |
| 8 | The Wind Through the Keyhole | Main | 2012 | 336 | ~9 hrs | After Book 4 or 7 |
| TI | The Eyes of the Dragon | Tie-In | 1984 | 326 | ~9 hrs | Before Book 5 |
| TI | It | Tie-In | 1986 | 1138 | ~32 hrs | Optional |
| TI | The Talisman | Tie-In | 1984 | 640 | ~18 hrs | Before Black House |
| SS | The Little Sisters of Eluria | Short Story | 1998 | ~60 | ~2 hrs | Before Book 1 |
| SS | Everything's Eventual | Short Story | 2002 | ~30 | ~1 hr | Anytime |
| Book | Pages | Print (avg) | Audiobook (hrs) | eBook (hrs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Gunslinger | 224 | ~6 hrs | 8.5 hrs | ~5.5 hrs |
| The Drawing of the Three | 400 | ~11 hrs | 15 hrs | ~10 hrs |
| The Waste Lands | 512 | ~14 hrs | 19 hrs | ~13 hrs |
| Wizard and Glass | 672 | ~18 hrs | 24 hrs | ~17 hrs |
| Wolves of the Calla | 714 | ~20 hrs | 26 hrs | ~19 hrs |
| Song of Susannah | 432 | ~12 hrs | 16 hrs | ~11 hrs |
| The Dark Tower | 845 | ~24 hrs | 30 hrs | ~22 hrs |
| The Wind Through the Keyhole | 336 | ~9 hrs | 12 hrs | ~8.5 hrs |
| Book | Paperback Pages | Approx. Weight (oz) | Approx. Weight (g) | Spine Width (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Gunslinger | 224 | 8.5 oz | 241 g | 14 mm |
| The Drawing of the Three | 400 | 12 oz | 340 g | 22 mm |
| The Waste Lands | 512 | 14 oz | 397 g | 28 mm |
| Wizard and Glass | 672 | 18 oz | 510 g | 36 mm |
| Wolves of the Calla | 714 | 19 oz | 539 g | 38 mm |
| Song of Susannah | 432 | 12.5 oz | 354 g | 24 mm |
| The Dark Tower | 845 | 22 oz | 624 g | 44 mm |
| The Wind Through the Keyhole | 336 | 10 oz | 284 g | 18 mm |
| Collection | Books Included | Total Pages | Total Shelf Width | Total Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Series (8 books) | 8 | ~4,253 | ~224 mm (~8.8 in) | ~116 oz (~7.3 lbs) |
| + Essential Tie-Ins (5 books) | 13 | ~7,156 | ~380 mm (~15 in) | ~195 oz (~12.2 lbs) |
| + All Tie-Ins (12 books) | 20 | ~10,900 | ~585 mm (~23 in) | ~298 oz (~18.6 lbs) |
| Hardcover Main Series | 8 | ~4,253 | ~265 mm (~10.4 in) | ~208 oz (~13 lbs) |
The Stephen King Dark Tower series seems simple, but it is truly great, not just one story, but a vast net that binds almost everything from the other books that he creates. The places, patterns and events in the series come straight from his other stories. It works as the central beam that unites the biggest part of King’s work.
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, I receive a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Here wars destroyed rough lands. Cities erase themselves without warning. Time does not follow the rules and sometimes the sun appears in the north while waves arrive from east.
How to Read The Dark Tower and Other Stephen King Books
The main series is made up of eight stories, although one of them was written entirely outside the main sequence. The Wind Through the Keyhole appeared as the eighth book, but according to the story it sits around the fourth and half. If you follow the Reading Order of publication, you get The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Wastelands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah and The Dark Tower as the main books.
Read the main books of the Stephen King Dark Tower according to the Reading Order of appearance helps only a bit. The good start is, that you do not necessarily need the other books of King to understand them, the stories of the Dark Tower stand alone. Even so, almost every novel of King binds to the Dark Tower somehow or other so there is a whole pile of extra content that deserves too research.
Most of those extra books work for any moment, although some fit more well in certain steps of the series.
As example take Salem’s Lot, a character from that appears in Wolves of the Calla, so best end it before entering the fifth volume. The Talisman and Black House has a shared main character, but they form their own stories. Black House is not required for the universe of the Dark Tower, but it still forms good background.
And The Stand and It count as key extras. It does not mention the Stephen King Dark Tower directly a lot, but the theme and building of the world? The tie does not let itself be ignored.
There is a famous extended Reading Order that weaves the extra stories between the main ones. That sequence goes: The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Stand, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Talisman, The Wastelands, Wizard and Glass, Salem’s Lot, It, Insomnia and some more from here. Later comes the Essential list, that strips more deeply.
It holds Gunslinger, Drawing, Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass, the Low Men in Yellow Coats section of Hearts in Atlantis, Insomnia, Wolves, Susannah and The Dark Tower.
Another way is read the original Gunslinger first, add some side material, later return to the revised Gunslinger before The Drawing of the Three. Wind Through the Keyhole fits well between Wizard and Glass and the next one. After ending the last novel, everything left can go in any order that pleases you.
Some extended lists reach above 24 books in total. Reading everything according to publishing order since Carrie is also possible, although that means thousands of pages before reaching the Tower. The Stephen King Dark Tower books series serves as the best starting point to King because itshows the whole range of his writing talent.
