Association Book - Stephen King "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger" Signed LETTERED Edition "AC" of only 52 w/Extra Author Inscription, Tray-cased

Personally signed by Stephen King (2x) along with the illustrator, Michael Whelan

"THE MAN IN BLACK FLED ACROSS THE DESERT, AND THE GUNSLINGER FOLLOWED"

Donald M. Grant Publishers 1982: Stephen King "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger" Signed LETTERED Edition "AC" of only 52 produced. "First Edition" as stated on the copyright page. This First Printing book has been personally signed by Stephen King along with the illustrator Micheal Whelan directly onto the special limitation page. This special book includes an additional inscription by King directly onto the title page, opposite the limitation page, making it even more of a treasure for any dedicated collector.

Includes a custom after market tray-case to match the book. 

• Illustrated by Michael Whelan.
• "First Edition" as stated on the copyright page.

Association copy. Includes provenance materials in the form of correspondences from the publisher to verify that it is a legitimate signed lettered edition. The book came from the collection of Richard Brisson and it was given to him personally by Donald Grant. He used to work Don's tables at various fantasy conventions and Don gave him two copies of The Gunslinger as a thank you. Richard later had it personalized to him by Stephen King,

Note: This double-signed association copy does not include the original publisher-issued grey cloth slipcase.

Currently the First Edition of "The Gunslinger" is 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. A rare find in superior condition. Brand new Mylar covering is now on the book to protect your investment.

One of the most rare and most valuable Stephen King books, this first edition of The Gunslinger is a prize for the discerning collector. Only 52 lettered copies were printed. It is in excellent condition with no markings, writings, or stampings. None of the pages are torn or missing. The Gunslinger is the first part of King's epic The Dark Tower, inspired by Robert Browning's poem, "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came".

"Many of my fictions", King reflected, "refer back to Roland's world and Roland's story. My idea was to use the Dark Tower stories as a kind of summation, a way of unifying as many of my previous stories as possible"

Correct First Edition - First Printing Markings:

• "First Edition" as stated on Copyright Page
• Dust-jacket price $20.00 and $60.00 (unclipped)
• ISBN 0-937986-50-X * ISBN 0-937986-52-X
• West Kingston, Rhode Island 1982

Dust-jacket Photos

"The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger" 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.

The Dark Tower

The Dark Tower is a series of eight novels and one short story 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 abstract to our own[clarification needed] (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 to eliminate continuity errors. 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.