Radio Free Mid-World

Sean Wagoner joins me to get to know the Covenant Man, the In-World tax collector who menaces young Tim Ross. All of this happens in the fairy tale that gives this book its name. Tim's dad dies, his mom falls in with an abusive drunk, and the Covenant Man arrives to send the young boy on a fool's errand.

A new old story, within the story, within the story. Evan joins me to talk about the opening movements of The Wind Through the Keyhole. After surviving the events in Lud and their encounter with the wizard Randal Flagg, the ka-tet finds themselves stranded by a Starkblast... a deadly kind of winter storm. With nothing left to do, Roland tells them about what he did after his mission to Hambry.

What happened during Roland's return to Gilead from Mejis, and how exactly did Gilead fall? Murph joins me to talk about two story arcs from the Dark Tower comics: The Long Road Home and Treachery. These give us a little more time in Gilead that was before it falls, and show us some of the cosmic implications of Roland's quest.

Nevada is home to a lot of intense people, and Autumn Greer joins me to talk about one of the most extreme: Collie Entragian. Desperation is the chronicle of what happens to several travelers who are captured by a small town sheriff in the abandoned burg of Desperation, Nevada. And it turns out the corruption runs deeper than anyone could expect, literally.Links:Achewood § April 29, 2002

We're off to see the wizard... the wonderful Wizard of lots of places. With the flashback done, Autumn and Jeremy Greer join me to talk about the conclusion of book four. Roland and his Ka Tet venture forth into Kansas until their road leads them directly into a familiar palace, inhabited by a familiar devilish interloper.

Charyou tree. Charyou tree. Evan joins me to talk about the upsetting conclusion of the flashback portion of Wizard and Glass. As Roland and the others experience the joy of victory on the battlefield, Susan is swept up in the winds of Ka and sacrificed by Hambry on a burning pyre. The old ways are coming back.

It was never about the gas, it was about the ball. Murph joins me to talk about the continuation of "Come, Reap", as the boys are captured and it seems all hope is lost. However, Susan and Sheemie are ready to come to the rescue.

Bird and bear and hare and fish, bring me Evan Thorne to talk about this section of Wizard and Glass. Roland and Susan have taken the plunge, and the conspiracy reveals itself to be about a very western object of desire... oil.

Chase Greenlee and Jeremy Greer join me for the second portion of "Susan", where Roland finally gives in to his temptation and gets the entire ka-tet into profound danger. Meanwhile, Rhea watches and gets stranger.

Autumn and Jeremy Greer join me for an episode that begins a flashback to Roland's first adventure as a gunslinger. He, Alain, and Cuthbert venture to the town of Hambry in the eastern barony of Mejis for protection... but instead find themselves in the grips of a larger plot and greater danger. This chapter introduces us to Susan, Rhea, and the Big Coffin Hunters.

Evan Jones Thorne joins me to talk about the resolution to the cliffhanger from the Waste Lands, as we learn how the ka-tet escapes from the clutches of the mad train Blaine the Mono. But what they find outside his careening hull isn't much better. Did you really expect it to be?Special Guest: Evan Jones Thorne.

It's a battle between good and evil in the desert (minus the crocodile man). Murph Murphy joins me to discuss the back half of The Stand, all the way through the end. Though we speak only in broad strokes, we also talk about the Stand miniseries. Next week, we'll begin Wizard and Glass. My life for you!

This week I'm joined by Autumn Greer and Evan Jones Thorne to talk about the first part of Stephen King's original magnum opus: The Stand. It's a massive sprawling book, so we can only introduce characters and talk about the early days of their journey. Come along with us to hear about the superflu, survival in a world devoid of people, and the nascent stages of a battle between good and evil.

A movie so good your heart will soar. Or float, at least. Jeremy Greer and Bryan May come along to talk about a movie so good it almost makes up for how disappointing the Dark Tower adaptation was.Links: Stephen King's It: Sequel details revealed IT Director Wants Jessica Chastain in Sequel | Screen Rant

Gary Buttefield joins the show to talk about Stephen King's novella (and the associated movie) that's all about what we become when the fear sets in. An otherworldly fog containing hideous monsters has descended on a small town, and perhaps the only survivors are locked away in a grocery store. The pressure is on.