The Dark Tower/The Gunslinger
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| Written by: | Stephen King |
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| Central Theme: | |
| Synopsis: | |
| Genre(s): | Dark fantasy, Horror, Science fiction, Western |
| Series: | The Dark Tower |
| Preceded by: | The Little Sisters of Eluria |
| Followed by: | The Dark Tower/The Drawing of the Three |
| First published: | June 10, 1982 |
The Gunslinger is the first book in The Dark Tower series. The story opens with The Gunslinger Roland Deschain wandering through a desert that appears to be in the Old West but may actually be our own world in the distant future. Flashbacks tell a High Fantasy tale of Roland's childhood.
Followed by The Drawing of the Three.
Tropes used in The Dark Tower/The Gunslinger include:
- After the End - "The World has moved on." (Also the Arc Words)
- Evil Chancellor - Marten
- "Friend or Idol?" Decision - The Boy or the Tower? The Tower.
- The Dog Shot First - In first novel of The Dark Tower, The Gunslinger, Allie is held as a shield and hostage by Sheb as the residents of Tull attack Roland. Originally, Roland kills her out of pure instinct; his trained hands react quicker than his mind. She screams at him not to shoot, but it's too late, and the guilt of her death sits on Roland throughout the rest of the story. In the revised edition, there is a convoluted subplot in which after Walter resurrects a dead man, he tells Allie that if she says "nineteen", he will tell her what he saw on the other side. Knowing will drive her crazy, but so will not. Later, during the shootout, she begs Roland to kill her because she has spoken nineteen to Sheb and can't bear the horrors that he whispered back to her. As she dies King says that "the last expression on her face might have been gratitude."
- The Gunslinger - Not the trope namer, but it could have been. Certainly a Trope Codifier.
- Guns Akimbo - Afterward, Roland loses two fingers and can't properly take the position again.
- Immune to Bullets - Walter. Despite his Improbable Aiming Skills, when Roland fires at him, he misses him with all twelve shots.
- Oedipus Complex - Lampshaded.
- Patchwork Story - The book was originally published as a series of short stories and novellas, hence its somewhat episodic nature.
- Precision F-Strike - In contrast to the Cluster F-Bomb of the other books.
- Shoot the Hostage - Sheb uses Roland's lover, Allie as a Human Shield and hostage. Roland kills her out of pure instinct; his trained hands react quicker than his mind. Changed in the revised edition.
- Training from Hell
- Would Hit a Girl / Would Hurt a Child: Roland kills every inhabitant of Tull, men, women and children. To be fair, they were all trying to kill him.
- Your Approval Fills Me with Shame - When the two finally meet, Walter, the man in black, congratulates Roland on letting Jake fall to his death in order to reach his goal. Roland's responds by attempting once again to shoot Walter.