Hidden Gems Blogfest: The Tower

So yesterday was Labor Day in the US, which meant somebody wasn't chained to her computer. (Shocking, I know.) What sucked about that was I couldn't post my entry for AJ Mullarky's blogfest right away.

But Alicia, you could've scheduled it ahead of time.
I know, but I'm kinda weird in that I don't like doing that. What if I changed my mind?

Anyway.

If you've lurked for a while, you've probably noticed my odd references to hard-to-pronounce rose fields or scary-ass trains. Then again, you might not have. If you're from the camp of "I don't know what the hell you're talking about," you're about to be schooled on one of the best series in the world.

The Dark Tower series has pretty much ruled my life for a while. I totally believe in Roland's cause and identify with more than one person in his ka-tet. Bestie Danielle and I have discussed many aspects of these books over various email chains.

A brief synopsis, courtesy of Wikia:

Roland is the last living member of a knightly order known as gunslingers and the last of the line of Arthur Eld. The world he lives in is quite different from our own, yet bears many similarities to it. Politically organized along the lines of a feudal society, it shares technological and social characteristics with the American Old West, but also adds elements of magic. While the technology of the Old Ones is largely gone from Mid-World, there are still some relics from that highly advanced society. Roland's quest is to find and protect the Dark Tower, a fabled building said to be the nexus of all universes.

I got to admit that the synopsis does not do the plot justice. There is so much more happening than this. However, I've come up with several reasons for you to pick these books up now.

The Top 9 Reasons You Should Read The Dark Tower

It has a perfect blend of western and fantasy elements.
Stephen King's worldbuilding is fantastic and encompasses almost every book he has written.
The language has an almost-lyrical quality at times--something you normally don't think of when you think Stephen King.
Heart-breaking romance.
Lots of action.
It's a great study in strong, well-developed characters.
It's also a great study in plot development and story arc.
Science and time travel.
It's like a master class in symbolism.

There are plenty of reasons why you should read The Gunslinger and the subsequent six books in the series, but these are the ones that came to me (with the help of Bestie Danielle). You can learn a lot about writing and perserverance through the series. This series alone is what brought me back to reading Stephen King.

Tell me, Lurkdom, what book have I been missing out on?

Thanks to AJ Mullarky for this blogfest.
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Last.fm hit of the day: Stripped Away by Ashes Divide