The Dark Tower, by Stephen King, follows the hero and the gunslinger, Roland Deschain, as he pursues the man in black across a desert wasteland then into the mountains. He has followed the man for twelve years and his pursuit never wavers for any reason. He is willing to sacrifice all, even his own life, to find the man in black.

Roland meets many people along the way and the reader is given a glimpse into his history and personality as he makes his journey across many miles to find the man in black. Several of the people Roland meets are used as human traps by the man in black to thwart Roland from capturing him.

There is a strong connection between Roland and the man in black. They come from the same place and share a culture and way of life. The man in black is an evil force, while the gunslinger is a vengeful but altruistic force. The gunslinger's ultimate goal is to find the man in black so that he can get answers from him, some of which relate to the Tower. The gunslinger also aims to kill the man in black when he finds him, but only after his questions are answered. Roland, the gunslinger, does finally catch the man in black, but only after Roland makes a blood sacrifice to the man. The answers Roland receives are not what he bargained for. This is not the end of his journey, but only the beginning.