Summary

• The revised edition of The Gunslinger fixes continuity errors and feels more cohesive with the rest of The Dark Tower series.
• The original version, though imperfect, is an interesting read for comparison's sake and delving into Stephen King's creative process.
• No matter which version you choose, both introduce readers to the iconic world of Roland of Gilead and the epic Dark Tower universe.

Those starting out their journey with Stephen King's The Dark Tower series often have a question: should they read the original version of The Gunslinger or the revised and expanded edition? The Dark Tower series is a seminal work from one of history's most successful and influential writers, a series told over seven main books, one standalone book, one short story, and countless references and tie-ins from his other novels. The Dark Tower universe is Stephen King's greatest work, and if he were never to write another book again, he'd be a legendary writer for that series alone.

The series all started with The Gunslinger, which introduces readers to the archetypal loner and heroic figure Roland of Gilead, Stephen King's greatest villain: the Man in Black, a.k.a. Randall Flagg. It's the start of an epic story, but there are two different versions of the novel, leading to questions about which one is better.

Why You Should Read The Revised & Expanded Edition Of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

It's More Cohesive & Fixes Some Continuity Issues

For those completionists who want to be thorough, the revised and expanded edition of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger is the best way to go. Stephen King released the revised and expanded edition in 2003, decades after the original version was released. The original version of The Gunslinger was published in 1982, and King had never been fully happy with it as it was a fix-up – that is, a novel that stitches together several short stories into one whole. The original stories had been published between 1978 and 1981, and King realized he had enough to put together in a whole novel; it was then the start of the expansive series that eventually became The Dark Tower.

That said, because the original The Gunslinger was a fix-up novel and never something that King had envisioned would spawn an entire interconnected Dark Tower universe, it created continuity errors with the later books, and didn't feel as cohesive in general. The expanded and revised edition fixes a lot of those continuity errors and makes the first book feel more like a fundamental part of the rest of the series. It's the equivalent of a director's cut, the version that King believes is the best version of his story and the one he always wanted to tell.

The original version of The Gunslinger was published in 1982, and King had never been fully happy with it as it was a fix-up – that is, a novel that stitches together several short stories into one whole.

It should be noted that some die-hard Stephen King fans who cut their teeth on the original edition of The Gunslinger have disliked some of the minor changes to wording, and it's fair to argue that a few lines don't seem to punch as hard as they did in the original. Still, it can't be denied that the revised and expanded edition of The Gunslinger fits much better with the whole series. For that reason, those who want a smoother entry into the complicated lore of the world should read the revised and expanded edition of The Gunslinger.

Why You Should Read The Original Version Of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

It's An Interesting Read For Comparison's Sake

That said, it's still worth reading the original, shorter version of The Gunslinger. Though it's an imperfect version of the story and has a few plot holes that cause contradiction later in The Dark Tower series, it's nonetheless a great read. It certainly doesn't detract from the overall tale to read the original as one's first book, nor does it really cause story problems later save for those who are incredibly nitpicky readers. However, the most interesting way to read it is after having finished the entire series, in order to see the parts Stephen King changed and expanded and why.

The Dark Tower series is Stephen King's magnum opus, the story, the universe that has consumed him and taken up more of his brain space than any other. Watching the way he modified the story is a glimpse into the mind of not just one of the world's most prolific authors, but also into the creative process itself. Some of the parts he changed were to better flesh out the character of Roland of Gilead. Others were to retroactively correct ages that caused later continuity errors. And still other parts simply revised things he hadn't been happy with.

Watching the way he modified the story is a glimpse into the mind of not just one of the world's most prolific authors, but also into the creative process itself.

In the end, it doesn't really matter if you read the revised and expanded edition of The Gunslinger or the original – if you can still find it, that is. The Dark Tower universe is vast and immersive, and whichever version of the first book you read, it still does a fine job of introducing you to the world of Roland of Gilead, and the character. No matter what's in the pages of each version, the only thing that truly matters is that both start with the iconic first line: "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

While the original version of The Gunslinger is harder to find now, it's still available in digital editions online and print editions where used books are sold.