Stephen King (along with the late Peter Straub) has written a new Dark Tower book.
Called Other Worlds Than These, it follows Jack Sawyer, who appeared in the novels The Talisman and Black House. In those two books, it was revealed that “The Territories,” another world that Jack can enter, is part of Roland’s world, but we never actually found out what Jack was doing during Roland’s travels. This book looks like it addresses that.
Ever since the end of Black House, I’ve wondered if Jack was going to play a part in the Dark Tower story itself. I was disappointed that he didn’t show up in that series.
I’m pretty sure that connection was a retcon to Talisman, but explicit in King’s later works and Black House. Not that it really matters, and IIRC there was a more explicit crossover in one of the later Dark Tower novels (I think it was a meeting with Parkus), but given the painful ending of Black House you sometimes wish Jack a happy rest in his semi-Avalon. Of course, since the temporality of Roland’s world is tattered and worn, it remains to see if this is before or after Black House.
Given the state of Jack’s mind prior to the events of Black House, you could effortlessly make the excuse that it happened before, and after Jack is free to travel the Territories and perhaps All-World for a period of time - which could become a way to add urgency and desperation to the story if needed.
Forgive some of the vagueness, I’m trying to avoid explicit spoilers. I’ve blurred one that was most likely to spoil Black House for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, but overall they’re all pretty general.
To be honest, I’ve forgotten most of the plot. All that really stands out is the biker gang, the blind sportscaster, and the annoyingly constant use of present tense.
Yeah, the end of Black House ended on kind of a downer, but still optimistic. In the link I posted in the OP, you can read a little of what happened after that book ended. It’s the first couple of paragraphs of the new book.
@Smapti , I didn’t mind the present tense. King’s done that in a few books now, like the Mister Mercedes books. It took me a bit to get used to it, but it doesn’t bother me anymore.