This is for all you people out there still wondering what the craic is with Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' series. This is going to be pretty long, but I think it has to be in order to explain everything I can. This is not an opinion on it as such, but an explanation for those wishing to read it in the future, hope it helps...Phoenix.

-----------------
Roland’s World.
-----------------
Described by King himself as being 'related to ours in some fundamental way' Roland’s world is probably the most confusing aspect of the books. What we know is decidedly unclear but so far King has let us into a few secrets of its past and present...and its future, if there will be one.
We know that Roland's world - or most parts of it - seems to be recovering from some sort of cataclysmic war of sorts. This war may have taken place many hundreds of years ago, in what Roland calls 'The great burning', but some remnants of the past still remain. Items such as light bulbs, motorbikes, machine guns and oil tankers seem to us as fairly un-modern, but Roland lives in a world much like that of the west - meaning the American wild west. Many of the old items are useless, but some still are in operation - the light bulbs in Gilead’s great hall, for example. Another thing is that this War that presumably has occurred was one of a nuclear nature, King describes in the 4th volume of the series - Wizard and Glass - Roland flying in the monorail over a 'Blasted landscape' crawling with 'Muties'. Roland’s world still suffers greatly from mutations occurring in animals like Horses or livestock, sometimes humans, further suggesting the aftermath of a nuclear war. Also the world before Roland’s must have been one of great technological advancement - Robots powered by nuclear cells, such as the great bear Shardik, in 'The Waste Lands'. Certainly they must have been some years ahead of our technological level, or close to it. What also is apparent is that these people before Roland’s time were not only very technologically advanced, but were almost spiritual or supernatural in a way. While riding aboard Blaine in ‘Wizard and Glass’, Blaine has to make a pit stop to recharge…what the ka-tet see out the windows of Blaine’s carriage is nothing short of breathtaking. Stretching down into a giant abyss, where a huge waterfall plunges into are two stone statues of dogs. Some sort of energy, like lightning shoots out of their eyes and feeds Blaine…Eddie remarks: ‘Did the great Old Ones build it…Or were they people?’ So far information about these ‘great Old Ones’ is sketchy, but we know that they also built the Tower and the beams that hold it…and destroyed themselves somehow.
The geography of Roland’s world is rather confusing - in fact it seems that the world is stretching, another symptom of the weakening of the Dark Tower. His world is arranged into separate sectors, Roland being from Gilead within In-world, Mid-world being next and then obviously, End-world. Roland has travelled from In-World and now is approaching End-World ...a distance of around 2,000 miles he claims; yet he has been travelling for over forty years! His only explanation being 'Time is stretching here'...or 'The world is moving on'. What we know of Roland’s world so far is that it is crumbling around his ears and this is the cause of the Dark Tower weakening. The symptoms of the Tower crumbling become ever more clear within ‘Wizard and Glass’ with the story Roland tells us of his first love affair…and a 'Thinny' – of which I’ll explain later on.

--------------------------
The Tower, the beams.
--------------------------

Roland, as we know is on a quest to find and stop the destruction of the Dark Tower, but why is it crumbling? This is where a large chunk of information comes from Kings other books.

What is clear is that the Tower is the every spindle upon which reality spins and all universes are held. The Tower itself is held together, or stabilised, by a set of inter-crossing beams arranged to pass from one end of Roland’s world, through the Tower, and towards the other side. There are eight of these beams in total and each is apparently protected by what Roland calls a 'guardian'. One of these guardians is introduced to us in the form of a giant cyborg bear named Shardik, which Roland kills. This happens when Roland and his ka-tet reach the end of one of the beams and find a portal. References to these portals or ‘doors’ and constant throughout the series and they serve transportation to other places and worlds and are believed to have been built by the ‘great Old Ones’. This gives us more clues into what Roland’s world was like before the war. References are made to 'The great Old Ones' - and it is presumed that it was these people who started the war...and also built the Tower and the beams that hold it.

The Dark Tower is falling, or in danger of falling due to who is referred to as 'The Crimson King', we have met this character in 'Insomnia' before and we know that his intentions are never good. What we know of him is shady. We know that his actual presence - his spiritual presence, has been locked up far in the top of the tower to stop him destroying it - but we find out that he has a physical presence, and that this is set out on destroying the Tower. If he succeeds, he will free himself from the Tower to do whatever he pleases...all time and space everywhere, an eternity of universes, will also crash together. We know that in ‘The Waste lands’ that Jake – within a vacant building lot in New York – encounters a rose like one other he has seen. He tells Roland of this and how everything seemed to shine around it, and how he heard the wrongness within it…Roland believes that the rose is the Tower – King explains to us that it is in terrible danger…reminding us of Jake’s dream of the rose being crushed by a bulldozer…carrying the mark of the Crimson King.

---------
Breakers.
---------

Breakers are a relatively new concept in King Dark Tower series. Little of them are known so far but it becomes clear in 'Hearts in Atlantis' and 'Black House', that the Crimson King needs these people to help him destroy the Tower. What exactly do they do? Well...they break things by using their mind. We know that Ted Brautigan (from Hearts in Atlantis) and Tyler Marshall (Black House) are breakers, Ted is the leader of these slaves and has a penchant for escaping, and Tyler is probably the greatest breaker of all. The Crimson King uses these Breakers in some way to help destroy the beams of the Tower and their psychic ability is important to him. Somehow it is through this breaking that time is becoming 'thin' in Roland’s world and that the appearance of ‘Thinnys’ is ever more occurring. Thinnys being like holes in reality where it has worn thin.

The Crimson King is also using young children in his operation against the Tower. In 'Black House' we are introduced to 'The Big Combination', somehow a central role in his mission...unfortunately for him it is 'broken ' by Tyler Marshall, freeing these children that trudge upon it's treads until they die. We do not know the function of ‘The Big Combination’ but we know that the Crimson King is not too happy when it is destroyed…This leaves us wondering if Jack or Tyler from ‘Black House’ may in the near future re-appear to help Roland in some way…who knows?

-----------
Characters.
-----------

Roland:
The key character in the novel. Called a 'Gunslinger' by King. The last of his breed, his city - Gilead - was destroyed by a war from which he escaped somehow. When we meet him his only purpose in life is to find the Tower and to fix the wrongness there.
A man who seems to know a little bit about everything. A dark soul, and very little is known - apart from what he tells in 'Wizard and Glass'. He became the youngest ever gunslinger by besting his teacher, Cort, with a hawk as his weapon. He did this to kill Marten…the man who is having an affair with his mother, but he is warned off by Cort, saying: ‘Wait until your shadow grows hair on its face and the battle between you is a legend.’

Stephen Deschain:
Roland's father, now dead. Also a gunslinger before Roland, seems to have been a wise and closed man - much like Roland.

Gabrielle Deschain:
Roland's mother - dead by Roland’s own hand when he was only 14. Had an affair with Marten, Stephen Deschain's wizard. Her death has deeply affected Roland and he only speaks of it in 'Wizard and Glass'.

Marten:
Described as a great sorcerer, and appears to be very dangerous. Goads Roland into an early test of manhood by making him discover him and his mother’s affair. Might also be the 'Walkin dude' or Flagg from 'The Stand' - descriptions of him suggest so.

Walter:
'The man in black' which Roland chases across the desert in 'The Gunslinger'. Once served Marten but actually becomes a help to Roland by telling him certain things about his quest.

John Farson:
Little of this man is known but it is clear that he led the revolt against Roland’s city and succeeded - we do not know if he is alive or dead yet. We first meet him in ‘Wizard and Glass’.

Eddie Dean:
Drawn by Roland in to his world, Eddie now is adamant to see the Tower. Once a heroin junkie has now become a gunslinger by Roland’s teachings. A bit of a clown and his constant frivolities can get in Roland’s nerves…until he uses them to save them in Wizard and Glass’.

Susannah Dean:
Drawn also by Roland into his world. Crippled and in a wheelchair, she is also made a gunslinger by Roland. Certain questions now arises as regards her time in the speaking ring, where she had to sexually encounter a demon to save Jake...she may be pregnant with it's child, Roland knows that this is not good and may change her for the worse.

Jake:
Loved by Roland and all his Ka-tet, Jake is a twelve year old boy drawn to Roland’s world (with some difficulty) for the second time. He first was drawn by death into his world, but died again...at Roland's hand in a choice between him and the Dark Tower. Already on his way to becoming a gunslinger, one has to wonder about his role in the series…King remarks at the end of ‘Wizard and Glass’ that all may not make it to the Tower but those who do will stand and be true. Something tells me Roland may not actually make it and Jake is to carry the mission form there on in…he will be the one to enter the Tower…who knows?

Oy:
A billybumbler: described as a cross between a raccoon and a dog, Oy is the mascot of the group. Can also talk a bit...Jakes pet. Roland once saw him in a dream in ‘Wizard and Glass’ impaled on a tree in ‘Thunderclap’…will Oy make it to the Tower? Looks doubtful.

The Ageless stranger:
A demon of whom Roland has been warned greatly. I believe him also to be the elusive R.F from the end of 'Wizard and Glass' and as we all remember...'The Stand'. Roland is told that he is important to defeat in the quest for the Tower. Roland in ‘Wizard and Glass’ encounters him and it is pretty obvious that he is Flagg from ‘The stand’…but what purpose does he have and how will he stand in their way?

The Beast:
Nothing at all is known about this character, only that Roland is told he guards the entrance to the Tower itself and must be defeated to enter it.

The Crimson King:
The entity who is trying to destroy the Tower by using Breakers to destroy the beams that hold it (see above)...mention of him is also in 'Insomnia' and 'Black House'. Not much at all is known.

-------------
Conclusion.
-------------
I hope that this is a good enough explanation to most of the mystery surrounding The Dark Tower...I will be adding more as I think of it and as more is released, so be patient.

The Dark Tower series does not only serve as a book on it's own - it actually contains almost all of King's books and incorporates them in some fundamental ways. Below are a list of books that mention the Dark Tower or something relating to it, they are not essential reading, but it would be easier to know what's going on with these:

The Stand

Insomnia

The Eyes of The Dragon

Hearts in Atlantis

Black House (The most useful to-date)

'Salem’s lot

The next book in the Dark Tower series is expected in Autumn 2002, an introduction to Calla Bryn Sturgis is available at Kings site. The book is eagerly awaited, only three more are expected, two in Roland’s world and another in ours, presumably New York...can't wait.