· As constant readers know, 19 comes to play a critical role in the revised edition of
The Gunslinger and the last three Tower books.
Bag of Bones is the first novel in which King highlights the importance of 19. In it, the number often appears throughout the text and helps Mike Noonan solve the mystery of Sarah Laughs.
· At the end of
Eyes of the Dragon, Dennis and Thomas are last seen following the trail of Flagg. In
The Drawing of the Three, Roland remembers the fall of Gilead and briefly seeing a creature that called itself Flagg. "Hot on his heels had come two young men who looked desperate and yet grim, men named Dennis and Thomas" (II.41
.
· At the end of
The Wastelands Flagg rescues the Tick-Tock Man from Ludd.
· The connection between
Skeleton Crew and the Tower series has often been debated ever since King officially announced that the two are indeed connected.
Originally, my guess was the short story "The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands." The number 19 factors in (slightly) to the story. However, the more concrete connection is that it takes place in the same club as in "The Breathing Method." The Club has an "infinite" feel to it. It has hundreds and hundreds of shelves of books; one book is titled
Breakers. Also, Stevens, the butler, has been around for many years and has not aged at all. This is erriely similar to the "long-timers" mentioned in
Insomnia. What made me doubt this connection is that
Different Seasons, which contains "The Breathing Method," is not listed by King as an officially connected.
Recently, we finally
found out the answer (sort of). The connected story is "The Mist." Although how it connects is anyone's guess. I'm placing it next to
Wizard and Glass and saying that they both contain thinnys.
·
Wolves of the Calla tells the story of how Father Callahan found his way to the town of Calla Bryn Sturgis where he joins Roland's ka-tet.
· In
Song of Susannah, Roland and Calvin Tower briefly discuss Roland's grandfather, Alaric Deschain.
"Of Alaric, aye," Roland said, "him of the red hair."
"I don't know anything about his hair, but I know why he
went to Garlan. Do you?"
"To slay a dragon."
"And did he?"
"No, he was too late. The last in that part of the world had
been slain by another king, one who was later murdered." (VI.197)
Roland is referring to the story of how King Roland of Delain slayed a dragon in
Eyes of the Dragon before he was killed.
· Dinky Earnshaw from
Everything's Eventual is a Breaker working for the Crimson King in
The Dark Tower.
· These two books are mirror images of each other. Alter egos if you will. One can't be read without the other.
·
It is one of many King novels which take place in Derry, Maine. There are lots of small connections as well. One of the larger ones is that the Turtle, the most important Beam Guardian, is mentioned quite often in
It. Also, Stan says that "In this universe there might grow roses which sing," (p411) which alludes to the Rose in the vacant lot.
·
Insomnia also takes place in Derry, Maine.
· While inside of the painting (which is really a doorway to another world), Rosie meets with Dorcas and Rose Madder. Dorcus says that she has seen "bodies on fire and heads by the hundreds poked onto poles along the streets of the City of Lud." Also, Rose Madder talks to her about ka.
· Both stories take place in the Desotoya Mountains. Also, the "doctor bugs" from
Eluria speak the same language as Tak from
Desperation.
· In
Insomnia Ralph Roberts battles the Crimson King in order to save the life of Patrick Danville. In
Hearts in Atlantis Ted Brautigan faces off against the Low Men - the Crimson King's henchmen. He also explains to Bobby about the Beams and Breakers.
·
Black House is the sequel to
The Talisman.
· During the palaver between Parkus, Jack, and Sophie in
Black House, Parkus warns that they must be gone before nightfall so they can avoid the Little Sisters, who have built a tent nearby.
· A low man leaves the Buick 8 behind.
· Parkus explains to Jack about the Breakers, the Crimson King and his plan for destroying the Beams. These ideas were first written about in
Hearts in Atlantis.
·
Black House's information about the Beams, Breakers, and the Crimson King are further explained in
Song of Susannah.
· This is the name King and Straub jokingly use to refer to the third book in Jack Sawyer's story. Straub has said that they have mapped out what happens to Jack in the third (and final) story, which takes place primarily in the Territories. However, there are no concrete plans for when (if) the book will be written.