The Dark Tower V:Wolves of Calla- Nov.03

[Adam]

from stephenking.com
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New York, NY-International best-selling writer Stephen King has finished the last three volumes of his Dark Tower series and will publish the first on November 4, 2003 with Donald M. Grant Publisher, Inc., a small press in New Hampshire which has published the prior four Dark Tower books, and with Scribner, the publisher of his recent novels, it was announced today by Robert K. Wiener, President of Donald M.Grant and by Susan Moldow, Executive Vice President and Publisher of Scribner. Prior to the publication of the new volume there will be a special promotion of the Dark Tower backlist, in hardcover as well as paperback editions, from Penguin Group (USA) publishers, Viking, Plume Books and New American Library.

The unusual arrangement was co-brokered by King's long-time manager Arthur Greene and editor, Chuck Verrill of Darhansoff, Verrill, Feldman, a literary agency. This is the first time, according to Greene, that three unaffiliated publishers have come together to publish a series of books, by one author in one territory.

The launch of the final three volumes will commence with a massive promotion in June of Volumes I-IV of the series in Viking hardcover and Plume trade paperback: The Gunslinger, (first published in 1982), The Drawing of the Three, (1987), The Waste Lands, (1991) and Wizard and Glass, (1997). King has written a new introduction to the series that will be included in the new hardcover, and redesigned trade paperback editions of all four books, including the first publication of a newly revised and expanded edition of The Gunslinger, a tale King began writing in 1970, five years before the publication of his first novel, Carrie.

The New American Library mass-market editions will follow monthly from July through October. In November, Donald M. Grant with Scribner will publish Wolves of the Calla, the fifth volume in the series, in a high-quality, illustrated edition for the general trade, retailing at $35. The arrangement will continue for the publication of the remaining books. Song of Susannah, Volume VI, will follow in summer 2004 and The Dark Tower, the seventh and final novel in the series, will be published in November 2004. Illustrated trade paperback editions will follow each hardcover at roughly six-month intervals. Mass-market editions from Pocket Books will follow eventually. Wolves of the Calla will be illustrated by Bernie Wrightson, Song of Susannah by Darrel Anderson, and The Dark Tower by Michael Whelan, who illustrated the original Grant edition of The Gunslinger.

Commenting on the series, King said, "I started writing the Dark Tower when I was still in college. It's been a major part of my life and my writing career. I wanted to finish it both for the readers, who have been so devoted, and for myself. In the upcoming books you'll meet new characters and you'll see familiar faces like Ted Brautigan from Hearts in Atlantis, Father Callahan from Salem's Lot…even Dinky Earnshaw from Everything's Eventual. For me, it's like a finale and a reunion, all at once. I've put everything I've got into these three books, and I think it shows. I can say something about them I've only been able to say about a handful of my previous novels: They work, they're good, and I'm proud to have written them."

Said Clare Ferraro, President of Viking and Plume Books, "It's a great pleasure to join forces with him again to publish what certainly constituted the most ambitious work of his career. These new editions of the Dark Tower will be eagerly awaited by his fans and provide new readers with a chance to 'begin at the beginning' of this epic work."

To complement the publication of the existing books in the series and the final three novels, Scribner will also publish a two-volume concordance, a reference for the series detailing character names, places and other cross-references in the books. The first will cover Volumes I-IV in the series and the second, will cover Volumes V-VII. Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Concordance, Volume I, written by Robin Furth, will be published in June. Volume II, also by Furth, will be published in November 2004 in conjunction with the Scribner publication of the final book in the Tower series. King has written an introduction for the concordance.

"The Dark Tower is one of the most beloved series in modern publishing history," said Scribner's publisher Susan Moldow. "For fans who've been waiting for all these years to find out how it ends, the news that the three final volumes will be available within a year will be a cause for jubilation."

The Dark Tower novels have a unique history in publishing. Beginning with a short story published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, King has been working on what became his epic fantasy quest for thirty-two years. The Gunslinger appeared in hardcover only in a limited edition from Donald M. Grant in 1982. The Plume trade paperback edition published five years later became a #1 national bestseller. The pattern of a high-priced limited edition from Donald M. Grant, followed by a #1 trade paperback from Plume continued for the next three books at almost regular five year intervals. The summer promotion of Volumes I-IV from Viking and the fall publication of Wolves of the Calla will be the first time that any new hardcover of a Dark Tower book will be available to as wide an audience as demands it. And the fact that King has completed the last three books signals for the first time that someone who commences the series can be assured of reading it to the end.

Robert Wiener said "Prior to its publication Donald Grant himself declared The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger 'The most important fantasy volume in the history of specialty publishing.' Twenty-one years and four books later, this scheduled release of the remaining volumes is cause for even greater anticipation and excitement for King fans everywhere."

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30 years later heh

[courey]

I hope that doesn't mean he's going to retire next year, though... there's been rumors flying around about this.

[iieee13kc]

In the issue of Entertainment Weekly that came out after the release of "From a Buick 8" he said that after the finish of the Dark Tower series...he was retiring.

but who knows if he will really stick to that or not? im hoping not....

cant WAIT for these books though!!

-chad

[courey]

no...

I can't blame him, but still... oh how I want to!
well, at least I can re-read [again] all that he's written.
I also wonder if he might write something under a pen name once in a while, so it wouldn't hurt his fans too bad to know that he's still out there, but not writing regularly anymore. There's always hope. I mean, I'm [trying to be] a writer, myself, so I don't understand how it would be too easy to just turn off all of the ideas that must pour through his head.

[DangerJohn]

cool. I just finished re-reading the first four actually.

Bernie Wrightson illustrated The Cycle Of The Werewolf too right?

and King writing under a psuedonym? what a silly idea

[courey]

Originally posted by Dangermouse
Bernie Wrightson illustrated The Cycle Of The Werewolf too right?

and King writing under a psuedonym? what a silly idea [/b]

yep...


I just hope "the men in the basement" keep moving around the furniture on him, that's all I'll say... one way or another!

[iieee13kc]

if i could find the magazine..i could give exact quotes...but who knows where that is..lol

he said something about not wanting to re-do stuff he's already done in the past..like he's running out of ideas. said "buick 8" was another car story like "christine."

i cant imagine how you could think up so many original things already and then it just stops. guess we'll see...

-chad