Song of Susannah

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Title The Dark Tower VI -
Song of Susannah

Author	Stephen King
Cover artist	Darrel Anderson
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Dark Tower
Genre(s)	Fantasy, Horror, Science fiction
Publisher	Donald M. Grant
Released	June 8, 2004
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	432 pp
ISBN	ISBN 1880418592
Preceded by	The Dark Tower V - Wolves of the Calla
Followed by	The Dark Tower VII - The Dark Tower

Song of Susannah is the sixth and penultimate novel in Stephen King's Dark Tower series.

[edit] Plot summary

Taking place mainly in our world (New York City and East Stoneham, Maine), this book picks up where Wolves of the Calla left off, with the ka-tet employing the help of the Manni to open the magic door inside Doorway Cave. They are split up in different 'wheres' and 'whens' in order to accomplish several essential goals pertaining to their quest towards the mysterious Dark Tower.

Susannah Dean is partially trapped in her own mind by Mia (the former demon and now very pregnant, white woman) who had taken control of her body shortly after the final battle in Wolves of the Calla and escaped to New York of 1999 via the magic door in Doorway Cave with the help of Black Thirteen. Mia tells Susannah she has made a Faustian deal with the Man in Black (Walter) to be truly human and produce a child. Technically speaking, however, this child is the biological descendant of Susannah Dean and the gunslinger, Roland. The Gunslinger's 'seed' was passed to Susannah through an Elemental who had sex with both. This matters little to Mia though because the The Crimson King has further promised her that she will have the sole charge in raising the child Mordred for the first part of its life, in the time before the critical destiny they forsee for it comes to pass.

Jake, Oy, and Father Callahan follow 'Susannah-mio' to New York (in 1999) in order to save Susannah from the danger Mia has put her in by bringing her into the custody of the Man in Black's henchmen. Also, unaware of the biological origins of this child, the ka-tet fears that it may be demonic in some way and may have the ability to turn on her and harm her. They also hide Black Thirteen in a locker in the World Trade Center. It is implied that Black Thirteen was destroyed when the towers fell.

Roland and Eddie Dean travel to Maine in 1977 with the goal of securing the ownership of a (mostly) vacant lot in New York from its current owner, a man named Calvin Tower (first appears in The Wastelands as the proprietor of The Manhattan Restaurant of the Mind where he sells Jake a copy of Charlie The Choo-Choo, written by Beryl Evans). The gunslingers have seen and felt the power of the rose that is located on that lot and suspect it to be some sort of secondary hub to the universe, or possibly even a representation of the Dark Tower itself. Calvin Tower is in hiding in Maine from Enrico Balazar's men (see The Drawing of the Three) who have almost succeeded in strong-arming him into selling them the lot, but has so far resisted with the help of Eddie Dean (see Wolves of the Calla). Upon their arrival in Maine, the gunslingers find themselves in an ambush by these same men, headed by Jack Andolini, who were tipped off on their potential whereabouts by Mia, in hopes that she could dispose of what she (mis-)perceived as a threat to her child. Roland and Eddie escape this onslaught with the help of a crafty local man, John Cullum, who they deem to be a saviour put in their path through the machinations of ka.

After accomplishing their primary goal, they learn of the nearby location of Stephen King's home, whose name they are familiar after coming into possession of a copy of the novel 'Salem's Lot, and they decide to pay him a visit. King's presence, and his relationship to the Dark Tower, cause the very reality surrounding his Maine town to become "thin". Unspeakable creatures called "walk-ins" begin emerging and plaguing the community. The author is unaware of this and has never seen one, though most of the walk-ins have been appearing on his own street. The Gunslinger hypnotizes King and finds out that King is not a god, but just a medium for the story of the Dark Tower to speak through. He also implants in him the suggestion to restart his efforts in writing the Dark Tower series, which he has abandoned of late, citing an uncanny feeling that there are those who strongly don't want him to finish it.

Meanwhile Jake and Father Callahan prepare to launch a suicidal assault on the 'Dixie Pig' where Susannah is being held by the henchmen of the Man in Black. The 'Turtle' that Susannah has left behind for them gives them a faint hope that they might succeed.

"Song of Susannah" is more action and explanation than the previous books in the series, leading up to the final cliff-hanger before the series' epic conclusion.