You weren’t kidding about older threads resurfacing. I’m happy to see past characters being brought back into the fold.
One thing I realized tonight is that throughout the series, i don’t recall any explosive arguments, emotional blowups, major inter-character drama. Mostly it’s been quieter resentments, internal frictions, and little things out of place. Everything is off kilter, strange, unsettling. People are lonely, grieving, scared, depressed, desperate. And then the characters change in ways that are weirdly positive. Like they’re trading some essential bit of their humanity for something that makes them “better”. Not quite a Faustian bargain, but maybe something similar. It’s been really effective at building up tension. The whole time, I keep waiting for something to jump out of the closet.
You’ve been pulling “normal” out of true for so long that Duke is a welcome reminder of what the baseline is. He’s the one that can’t be bought off. It gives the reader a chance to recalibrate.
Aaron, this is one of those comments where I have to resist becoming legally liable for spoilers. 🫢
You caught something really important: I realized early on I wasn’t interested in horror that breaks people. I was more interested in horror that quietly removes friction. Less fighting. Less grief. Less mess. Less need. Until one day everyone seems… better.
Seems…
And Duke absolutely became the recalibration point.
(Also… I am saying nothing about the gate. But I am looking at it suspiciously.)
Thank you for reading this closely. Comments like this make me want to keep building weird little worlds.
Duke IS a good boy!
You weren’t kidding about older threads resurfacing. I’m happy to see past characters being brought back into the fold.
One thing I realized tonight is that throughout the series, i don’t recall any explosive arguments, emotional blowups, major inter-character drama. Mostly it’s been quieter resentments, internal frictions, and little things out of place. Everything is off kilter, strange, unsettling. People are lonely, grieving, scared, depressed, desperate. And then the characters change in ways that are weirdly positive. Like they’re trading some essential bit of their humanity for something that makes them “better”. Not quite a Faustian bargain, but maybe something similar. It’s been really effective at building up tension. The whole time, I keep waiting for something to jump out of the closet.
You’ve been pulling “normal” out of true for so long that Duke is a welcome reminder of what the baseline is. He’s the one that can’t be bought off. It gives the reader a chance to recalibrate.
Now I want to know more about that iron gate…🤔
Compelling stuff, Waymon!
Aaron, this is one of those comments where I have to resist becoming legally liable for spoilers. 🫢
You caught something really important: I realized early on I wasn’t interested in horror that breaks people. I was more interested in horror that quietly removes friction. Less fighting. Less grief. Less mess. Less need. Until one day everyone seems… better.
Seems…
And Duke absolutely became the recalibration point.
(Also… I am saying nothing about the gate. But I am looking at it suspiciously.)
Thank you for reading this closely. Comments like this make me want to keep building weird little worlds.
Thank you.
You’re welcome.
Duke is one of my favorite characters to write. ❤️
His story isn’t over yet though… so I wouldn’t thank me too quickly.
But I promise I would never do anything bad to him.
(Maybe. 🤞)
I loveeee how you're connecting all of the threads together Dark Tower style! Wonderful job here! Duke is a good, good boy!