The work of Stephen King is so vast that it's impossible to pick a favorite. To most, there will be titles that have been made into good movies, such as "The Shining," "Misery," "Carrie," or "It." However, it one were to ask King what he felt was his greatest work was, odds are that he'll mention "The Dark Tower" saga somewhere. Until the upcoming movie, it's likely the most obscure title in his oeuvre to also have a rabid fan base. Still, its mix of genres with western, sci-fi, fantasy, and history is a fascinating journey into a world that is literally unlike any other. With "The Waste Lands," he pushes further into that vision with some of his most striking visuals yet, and it all works for better or worse in forwarding the story to its exciting conclusion.
To summarize the previous story, Roland is a gunslinger from the 1800's who travels to a mysterious world beyond a door. This "Mid-world" is full of doors that connect to other worlds. On his journey, he has befriended other people who are travelling between lands, including a black woman named Susannah from the 1980's, and his son from the Jimmy Carter-era 70's. It's a blend of every decade and every style in a way that makes for an odd series of characters. They all have different experiences, and bring it to a new world of monsters and oddities, such as a robotic bear that starts off "The Wastelands" entry into the series. It's all fascinating in its grandiose mix of reality and fantasy, and only becomes more so as there's additional key references to children's literature and riddles as well as a homicidal train.
By now, the dynamic has been largely set into place following the events of "The Drawing of the Three." The only real new character is Roland's son Jake, who enters Mid-world through a portal found in a haunted house that threatens to eat him. From there, they have a fun dynamic of antagonism that fits in any father/son relationship. Roland also has a relationship with Susannah that is sweet and tender. It's what sets up the story and prepares them for the third act, where they enter Lud and discover just how ravenous and scary the world can be. Along with vibrant drawings, the titular wastelands are brought to life in some of the richest sci-fi and fantasy elements that King has invoked yet. There's even cyberpunk updates of themes from J.R.R. Tolkien and L. Frank Baum to be found in a late plot point that separates the team.
The only real issue with the novel is that it is a sign of how strong the fantasy elements will be. While it still has a lost of western iconography, it does steep itself into imagery that is far from conventional literature, even by King's standards. It is both exciting and isolating. While it's a bit of a step down from "The Drawing of the Three" in overall memorability, it still has plenty of the great prose that makes King great. It also has a lot of new details that expand the landscape of The Dark Tower, to which the central group continues to travel.At the time of its release, the final act's cliffhanger is intense and leaves many to wonder who will live and die to see "Wizards and Glass." Even by knowing that this isn't quite the halfway mark of the saga makes it somewhat hard to believe. Still, anything is possible in a Stephen King book, especially this series. So here's hoping that he continues to surprise in fascinating ways.
Overall Score: 3.5 out of 5
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