Stephen King's novel "The Waste Lands" is the third book in a series that follows Roland's quest for the Dark Tower. Roland and his companions hope that by reaching this tower, they can set right the terrible changes that are occurring in Roland's world. Throughout their journey, Roland and his companions encounter insane mechanical bears, sick pirates, and a monorail train on a suicide mission. The novel ends with much left unfinished and the characters in a precarious situation.

In the beginning of their adventure, Roland and his traveling companions Eddie and Susannah are attacked by and kill an insane mechanical bear. Roland believes this bear was one of the Twelve Guardians. These guardians were created to guard the Twelve Portals. By following this bear's tracks, Roland and his companions are able to locate the Portal that the bear once guarded. From this location, they start their journey down the Beam toward the Dark Tower.

During their journey, Jake, a young man who had met Roland at a prior time at a way station, joins Eddie, Susannah, and Roland. Responding to the power of ka or fate, Jake is led to a place on Earth where he can be pulled into Roland's world. Before Jake is pulled into Roland's world, both he and Roland were suffering with a divided memory of their time at the way station. When Jake enters Roland's world, their memories are healed. After Jake is added to the group, they reach the town of River Crossing. The people of this town feed the travelers richly and offer blessings for their journey. During their short stay, the people of River Crossing give Roland and his group information about the city of Lud.

Conditions are different, however, when the group reaches the city of Lud. In this city, the Grays, one of the warring groups that live in Lud, take Jake captive. Roland, with the help of Oy, the billy-bumbler, frees Jake from the Grays. Once Roland, Jake, and Oy are reunited with Susannah and Eddie, they board the monorail, Blaine, who agrees to take them through the wastelands. Blaine, however, has set off poisonous gas in an effort to destroy all of the inhabitants of Lud. During their journey, Roland and his group learn that Blaine, who has some sort of intelligence and rudimentary emotions, plans to commit suicide and take his passengers to their deaths with him. Roland makes a bargain with the train that if they are able to come up with a riddle that Blaine is unable to answer, they will earn a safe passage. It is at this point that the novel ends.