What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Dark Tower
Stephen King · Book · 1982
If you loved The Dark Tower, start with The Dark Tower (Nikolaj Arcel, 2017) — a film from the same story. Below: 2 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Dark Tower across media.
If you loved The Dark Tower, you crave stories where sprawling, multi-dimensional quests collide with the heavy burden of destiny.
Start with the source
Adaptation
The Dark Tower
Nikolaj Arcel · Film · 2017
Films on the same thread
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Peter Jackson · Film · 2002
Shares 2 threads with The Dark Tower: Good vs Evil, Redemption.
Much like the ka-tet in The Dark Tower, the fellowship faces a high-stakes journey across a dangerous world, emphasizing the necessity of loyalty when confronting absolute, encroaching evil.
Star Wars
George Lucas · Film · 1977
Shares a thread with The Dark Tower: Good vs Evil.
The Dark Tower blends western grit with epic scale, a combination mirrored here as a band of unlikely heroes travels across the galaxy to challenge a tyrannical, dark power.
Series on the same thread
The Twilight Zone
Rod Serling · Series · 1959
Explores: Existentialism, Paranoia, Social Commentary.
The Dark Tower often pivots into surreal, mind-bending territory; this anthology series captures that same sense of existential dread and the unsettling nature of reality shifting without warning.
The Sandman
Neil Gaiman · Series · 2022
Shares 2 threads with The Dark Tower: Redemption, Dark Fantasy.
Morpheus shares Roland’s stoic, world-weary determination, leading a quest across disparate realms that mirrors the cosmic scope and dark, mythic atmosphere found throughout The Dark Tower series.
Game of Thrones
David Benioff · Series · 2011
Explores: Power Struggles, Moral Ambiguity, War and Politics.
The Dark Tower features a complex web of moral ambiguity and ancient threats, which you will find echoed in the political maneuvering and looming supernatural dangers of Westeros.
Stranger Things
Ross Duffer · Series · 2016
Explores: Government Experiments, Telekinesis, Monsters.
This mystery echoes the unsettling, small-town horror elements of The Dark Tower, focusing on a group of friends confronting terrifying supernatural forces that bleed into their everyday reality.
Podcasts on the same thread
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
Dan Carlin · Podcast · 2026
Explores: civilizational collapse, human nature, moral ambiguity.
While non-fiction, this podcast explores the same themes of civilizational collapse and the consequences of power that define the bleak, decaying worldscapes explored in The Dark Tower.
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
The Dark Tower excels at portraying isolated, eccentric figures in decaying environments, a focus that sits at the heart of this investigation into social decay and hidden, local secrets.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What order should I read The Dark Tower series in?
The Dark Tower series begins with the 1982 book by Stephen King. You should start with the first novel to follow Roland and his ka-tet as they remain intact while scattered across different times and locations, eventually facing foes at the Dixie Pig and in the chamber of horrors.
Is The Dark Tower movie related to the 1982 book?
The 2017 movie adaptation is based on the source material of The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. While the film draws from the narrative, the 1982 book provides the original foundation for the story involving Roland, Jake, Father Callahan, and Oy as they navigate their dangerous journey.
How long is the original The Dark Tower book by Stephen King?
The Dark Tower, the first book published in 1982, establishes the journey of Roland and his ka-tet. It serves as the starting point for the complex saga that later involves characters like Jake, Father Callahan, and Oy, who must confront numerous and noxious foes in various locations.
Does The Dark Tower book feature the Dixie Pig?
Yes, the Dixie Pig is a key location featured in The Dark Tower series. It is the place from which Susannah-Mia is carried to the chamber of horrors in Thunderclap's Fedic, while Jake and Father Callahan enter the restaurant to confront their foes with weapons drawn.