title: Stephen King's Dark Tower: The Gunslinger: The Journey Begins
author: Stephen King
description: Peter David is a prolific author whose career, and continued popularity, spans nearly two decades. He has worked in every conceivable media: Television (<st1:city u1:st="on">Babylon</st1:city> 5), film (Trancers), books (Star Trek: New Frontier series), and comic books (Incredible Hulk, X-Factor, <st1:place u1:st="on"><st1:placename u1:st="on">Dark</st1:placename> <st1:placetype u1:st="on">Tower</st1:placetype></st1:place>).
zlib_text:   
    
    
  
  **THE GUNSLINGER**
  
  (Darktower 1)
  
  **STEPHEN KING**
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
  TO
  
  ED FERMAN
  
    
  
  who took a chance on these stories, one by one.
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
  THE GUNSLINGER
  
    
  
  The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.
  
  The desert was the apotheosis of all deserts, huge, standing to the sky for
  what might have been parsecs in all directions. White; blinding; waterless;
  without feature save for the faint, cloudy haze of the mountains which
  sketched themselves on the horizon and the devil-grass which brought sweet
  dreams, nightmares, death. An occasional tombstone sign pointed the way, for
  once the drifted track that cut its way through the thick crust of alkali had
  been a highway and coaches had followed it. The world had moved on since then.
  The world had emptied.
  
  The gunslinger walked stolidly, not hurrying, not loafing. A hide waterbag was
  slung around his middle like a bloated sausage. It was almost full. He had
  progressed thro