Stephen King "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger" Slipcased Second Edition [Very Fine/Very Fine-]

All photos of actual item. If you're looking for a Second Edition of "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger", then this is the one. Exceptional original condition.  

From Stephen King's epic The Dark Tower...

A rare piece of history in excellent condition. 

This is the Second Edition of The Gunslinger.

The novel that started the Dark Tower series in 1982. Only 10,000 Second Edition copies were produced.

A wonderful edition for the discerning collector. Currently the First Edition and Second Edition of "The Gunslinger" are one of the most sought after collectible books that Stephen King has ever written. This is the book that started the The Dark Tower series, of which King considers his magnum opus. The condition is better than most copies of this second printing title. A rare find in this original condition.

Donald M. Grant Publishers, Stephen King "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger". Second edition. Published in 1982. Dust-jacket artwork by Michael Whelan. A collector's grade hardcover book in original condition. The dust-jacket is now protected in a brand new archival acid-free Brodart mylar sleeve. Original price of $20.00 still on the dust-jacket. Not price clipped. Includes a new custom matching slipcase. Very Fine hardcover book with just about Fine dust-jacket. Exceptional! 

"Second Edition" as stated on the copyright page. 

The second printing of 10,000 copies. This edition has black cover boards, the endpapers are NOT printed in color and only one price is printed on the dustjacket.

Correct Second Printing Markings:

• "Second Edition" as stated on Copyright Page
• Dust-jacket price $20.00 (unclipped)
• ISBN 0-937986-50-X
• ISBN 0-937986-52-X
• West Kingston, Rhode Island 1982

Background & Publication

The novel was inspired by the poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" by Robert Browning, which King read as a sophomore at the University of Maine. King explains that he "played with the idea of trying a long romantic novel embodying the feel, if not the exact sense, of the Browning poem." In March 1970, while a senior at the university, King began writing the novel on bright green sheets of paper. The five parts that constitute the novel were originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction:

* "The Gunslinger" (October 1978)
* "The Way Station" (April 1980)
* "The Oracle and the Mountains" (February 1981)
* "The Slow Mutants" (July 1981)
* "The Gunslinger and the Dark Man" (November 1981)

In all, it took King twelve years to complete the novel. The finished product was first published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. as a limited edition in 1982. In 1988, Plume released it in trade paperback form. Since then, the book has been re-issued in various formats and included in boxed sets with other volumes of the series.

In 2003 the novel was reissued in a revised and expanded version.

About the Book

The Dark Tower is a series of seven books written by American author Stephen King and contains fantasy fiction, science fantasy, horror and western elements. They describe a gunslinger's quest toward a tower whose nature the books call both physical and metaphorical. King has described the series as his magnum opus; besides the seven novels that compose the series proper, many of his other books relate to the story, introducing concepts and characters that come into play as the series progresses between 1970 and 2004.

The series was chiefly inspired by the "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" by Robert Browning, whose full text was included in the final volume's appendix. In the preface to the revised 2003 edition of The Gunslinger, King also identifies "The Lord of the Rings", the "Arthurian Legend", and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" as inspirations. He identifies Clint Eastwood's "Man with No Name" character as one of the major inspirations for Roland. King's style of location names in the series, such as Mid-World, and his development of a unique language abstract to our own, are also influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien's work.

About The Dark Tower Series

The Dark Tower is a series of eight novels, one short story, and a children's book written by American author Stephen King. Incorporating themes from multiple genres, including dark fantasy, science fantasy, horror, and Western, it describes a "gunslinger" and his quest toward a tower, the nature of which is both physical and metaphorical. The series, and its use of the Dark Tower, expands upon Stephen King's multiverse and in doing so, links together many of his other novels.

In addition to the eight novels of the series proper that comprise 4,250 pages, many of King's other books relate to the story, introducing concepts and characters that come into play as the series progresses.

The series was chiefly inspired by the poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" by Robert Browning, whose full text was included in the final volume's appendix. In the preface to the revised 2003 edition of The Gunslinger, King also identifies The Lord of the Rings, Arthurian legend, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as inspirations. He identifies Clint Eastwood's "Man with No Name" character as one of the major inspirations for the protagonist, Roland Deschain. King's style of location names in the series, such as Mid-World, and his development of a unique language (High Speech), are also influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien's work.

A film serving as a sequel to the events of The Dark Tower was released in August 2017.

Stephen King saw The Dark Tower series as a first draft, initially planning to rewrite it. However, after revising The Gunslinger, "he is trying to decide how much he can rewrite."

The series is referred to on King's website as his magnum opus.

About the Publisher

Donald M. Grant Publisher, Inc. has been producing specialty books in the fantasy genre for over 45 years. Over that period the company has published substantially more than 100 quality titles, placing an emphasis on time-honored book design and an abundance of full color and black and white illustrations.

Indeed, the company's forte is the production of fine editions designed for the book collector and for the book lover. Particular concern is always shown in the use of quality bindings, paper, typography and reproduction of artworks.

Many of the Grant imprint books are illustrated in full and striking color. Donald M. Grant, Publisher will continue to bring you fine quality books in the future. Many exciting projects are currently being discussed or are already underway.