Patrick McAleer co-chairs the Stephen King Area of the Popular Culture Association. He has published many articles on King and teaches English at Inver Hills Community College in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments      Preface      Introduction—The Dark Tower: A Literary Anomaly, an Experiment in Horror, or a True Mark of Literature?      CHAPTER      The Ending Is Only the Beginning: Genre and Its Influence on Climax      CHAPTER      Illustrating Imagination: The Infringement (and Evolution) of Visual Elements in the Dark Tower Series and The Gunslinger Born      CHAPTER      The Face of Evil: Behind the Hood and Under the Cowboy Hat      CHAPTER      Repetition, Integration, Immersion, and Intertextuality: A Tale of At Least Two Stories      Conclusion—“Time is a face on the water”: or Will The Dark Tower Endure?      Works Cited      Index

“I was endlessly engaged with McAleer’s in-depth study of King’s work. He offers a well-reasoned, detailed analysis.... He shines a critical light on an area of speculative fiction that might otherwise remain ignored by mainstream scholars. He brings welcome validation to an author who has forever influenced popular culture.”—Fanboy Comics.

Patrick McAleer co-chairs the Stephen King Area of the Popular Culture Association. He has published many articles on King and teaches English at Inver Hills Community College in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments      Preface      Introduction—The Dark Tower: A Literary Anomaly, an Experiment in Horror, or a True Mark of Literature?      CHAPTER      The Ending Is Only the Beginning: Genre and Its Influence on Climax      CHAPTER      Illustrating Imagination: The Infringement (and Evolution) of Visual Elements in the Dark Tower Series and The Gunslinger Born      CHAPTER      The Face of Evil: Behind the Hood and Under the Cowboy Hat      CHAPTER      Repetition, Integration, Immersion, and Intertextuality: A Tale of At Least Two Stories      Conclusion—“Time is a face on the water”: or Will The Dark Tower Endure?      Works Cited      Index

“I was endlessly engaged with McAleer’s in-depth study of King’s work. He offers a well-reasoned, detailed analysis.... He shines a critical light on an area of speculative fiction that might otherwise remain ignored by mainstream scholars. He brings welcome validation to an author who has forever influenced popular culture.”—Fanboy Comics.

Patrick McAleer co-chairs the Stephen King Area of the Popular Culture Association. He has published many articles on King and teaches English at Inver Hills Community College in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments      Preface      Introduction—The Dark Tower: A Literary Anomaly, an Experiment in Horror, or a True Mark of Literature?      CHAPTER      The Ending Is Only the Beginning: Genre and Its Influence on Climax      CHAPTER      Illustrating Imagination: The Infringement (and Evolution) of Visual Elements in the Dark Tower Series and The Gunslinger Born      CHAPTER      The Face of Evil: Behind the Hood and Under the Cowboy Hat      CHAPTER      Repetition, Integration, Immersion, and Intertextuality: A Tale of At Least Two Stories      Conclusion—“Time is a face on the water”: or Will The Dark Tower Endure?      Works Cited      Index

“I was endlessly engaged with McAleer’s in-depth study of King’s work. He offers a well-reasoned, detailed analysis.... He shines a critical light on an area of speculative fiction that might otherwise remain ignored by mainstream scholars. He brings welcome validation to an author who has forever influenced popular culture.”—Fanboy Comics.