Drama King

In one of the biggest connections, Father Callahan, the priest who finds himself battling vampires, eventually leaves ‘Salem’s Lot, presumably never to be heard from again. That is, until he reappears in a place called Calla Bryn Sturgis in the fifth “Dark Tower” book and helps Roland and his ka-tet on their quest.

In the later "Dark Tower" books, Stephen King writes himself into the narrative. In the sixth book, it's discovered that King is meant to get hit by a van and die on the date June 19, 1999. In the seventh book, he is rescued on that date from death by his own characters. In "11/22/63," this date is the day the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor explodes. Derry, Maine is also mentioned in both this book and the series.

Jake Epping also sees a Takuro Spirit, a type of car found in alternate versions of America in the "Dark Tower" series.

Keewaydin Lake, located in Maine, is mentioned in both the sixth “Dark Tower” book and in this novel.

“The Mist” is a short story in the book “Skeleton Crew” that takes place in Bridgton, Maine, which is a setting in the sixth and seventh "Dark Tower" books. The pharmacy in that same town is also mentioned in “The Mist.”

It's likely that an experiment created a “thinny” (versions of which are sprinkled throughout the “Dark Tower” series), which allowed monsters to come through “the mist” in Bridgton.

This short story collection has a few mentions of “Dark Tower”-related places and people, including Derry, Maine, and an appearance by Dinky Earnshaw, one of the telepathic Breakers in the seventh “Dark Tower” book. In the same story, a character named Skipper Brannigan torments Dinky. Skipper is also mentioned in the “Dark Tower” series as a friend of one of the characters.

The Buick 8’s previous owner was likely a low man and the car itself is a portal to the todash spaces, both of which are featured prominently throughout the series.

In the fifth “Dark Tower” book, it’s discovered that the term “regulator” refers to low men, also known as can-toi, who serve the Crimson King.

Much of the action of this book takes place in a land known as The Territories, which are also mentioned in the third “Dark Tower” book. The White, a force of good in the series, also appears in “The Talisman.”

This book could be considered a prequel of sorts to the series, featuring Randall Flagg as an evil wizard. Flagg, in characteristic Flagg fashion, frames a young prince for the murder of his father, the king. This prince, Thomas, and his butler, Dennis, chase after Flagg, a story we also read about in the third “Dark Tower” novel.

Both can-tah (the language of the dead) and can-toi (the low men) are mentioned in this book and play major roles in the series.

Lud, which is a setting in the third “Dark Tower” book, also figures in this King novel.

In the series, the main characters come across a newspaper detailing Captain Trips, the superflu that has killed almost the entire population of the United States in “The Stand.” Randall Flagg, the villain in the series, is also the villain in “The Stand.” Mother Abigail, Flagg’s elderly nemesis in “The Stand,” is mentioned in the fourth “Dark Tower” book.

“Dark Tower”-related items mentioned here include Blaine the Mono, Ted Brautigan, can-tah, Jake Chambers, Eddie Dean, Susannah Dean, Roland Deschain, French Landing, Wisconsin, ka, Legion, Opopanax, the Speaking Demon, The Territories and, if all that weren’t enough, the actual Dark Tower itself.

This short story collection features many of the same elements found in the series, such as Ted Brautigan, the Crimson King, Derry, Maine, Roland Deschain, the ability to dim, Randall Flagg, Bobby Garfield, Liz Garfield, Carol Gerber, ka-tet, the low men and John Sullivan.

In this book, it’s discovered that one of the incarnations of the Crimson King, a villain in the series, is King Herod. Patrick Danville, Roland’s traveling companion in the last “Dark Tower” book, also appears in “Insomnia.” Other crossovers include Ed Deepneau, Derry, Maine, the ability to dim, ka, ka-tet, Ralph Roberts, and todana.

The magical rose and the Dark Tower located in End-World are mentioned in this novel, and low men appear but are not directly named.

The ability to make yourself dim is to make yourself difficult to detect, if not completely invisible, a skill mentioned in both the series and “Sleepwalkers.”

Both this book and its main character, Danny Torrance, are mentioned in the series.

Dan Torrance (the grown-up Danny from “The Shining”), uses a famous phrase of Jake Chambers, a main character in the series: “There are other worlds than these.”

“Dark Tower” connections include the town of East Stoneham and mentions of the Territories.

The concept of deadlights is shared by both Pennywise and the Crimson King. Similar wallpaper featuring roses and elves wearing green caps appears in both the house on Dutch Hill in series and the house on Niebold Street from “IT.” There is an End-World creature known as Legion mentioned in the 2003 version of “The Gunslinger,” the first book in the series, and the voices in the drains in “IT” call themselves Legion. The character Stuttering Bill and the item known as the magical turtle make appearances in both the series and in “IT” as well.

Nozz-a-la, a bizarro world version of Coca-Cola, is featured in both this book and the series.

John Cullum, who plays a small but significant role in the series, worked as a guard at the Maine State Prison back in the ‘50s. In King’s novella, “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” Maine State Prison is Shawshank. The novella is the basis for the movie “The Shawshank Redemption.”

Zelda Goldman, a character in “Pet Sematary,” thought that Oz the Great and Terrible, from “The Wizard of Oz,” was a version of the Grim Reaper. As such, Oz becomes a symbol of death throughout the book. Meanwhile, in the series, Roland and his ka-tet visit a version of Oz’s palace.

This story collection mentions both Captain Trips, the superflu that wipes out the population of the United States in “The Stand,” and the town of Jerusalem’s Lot, the setting of “‘Salem’s Lot,” both of which are also featured in the series.

This book features settings that are mentioned in the series, including the pharmacy in Bridgton, Maine, the town of Derry, Maine, and Jerusalem’s Lot.

The Bridgton pharmacy mentioned in the series appears in this novel.

The protagonist, Clayton Riddell, is a comic book artist who writes a Western fantasy called “The Dark Wanderer” that is about Ray Damon, an apocalypse cowboy who uses six-shooters, a story that is similar to that of Roland’s story. Later on, Riddell comes across a children’s ride called Charlie the Choo-Choo. In the series, “Charlie the Choo-Choo” is the title of a sinister children’s book that Jake Chambers buys.

The circle stones in Ackerman’s Field are similar to Mid-World’s demon-infested speaking rings.

Written by King’s son, this book also has some connections to the “Dark Tower” universe, including mentions of Mid-World and the phrase “the clearing at the end of the path,” which is a euphemism for death used throughout all seven books of the series.

This TV series, based on a King short story, has many “Dark Tower” references, including the name Flagg on an old scroll in the opening credits, an episode featuring lobstrocities, which are large killer lobsters, and the fact the town is plagued by “troubles,” which may indicate it has a door connecting it to Roland’s world.