Is Black House a sequel to The Talisman?

Yes. Black House (2001), co-written by King and Peter Straub, follows Jack Sawyer twenty years after the events of The Talisman. As an adult, Jack has suppressed all memory of the Territories and works as a retired LAPD detective living in Wisconsin. A series of brutal child murders draws him back toward the world he had forgotten.

How does Black House connect to the Dark Tower series?

More explicitly than The Talisman did. Black House directly introduces Roland of Gilead and his ka-tet, and the novel's central threat—a location called Black House—is connected to the Crimson King and the Dark Tower's mythology. It is one of the novels King recommends reading before the later Dark Tower volumes.

Who is the Fisherman?

The Fisherman is the serial killer at the center of the mystery—an elderly man in Tamarack, Wisconsin, who is killing and partially consuming children. His identity is discoverable early in the novel, but his supernatural connection to Black House and the entity controlling him is the real horror.

What is Black House itself?

Black House is a condemned, isolated structure on the outskirts of Tamarack that functions as a kind of portal or staging area between the physical world and the Dark Tower's multiverse. Its atmosphere is deeply wrong—animals avoid it, and most people cannot bring themselves to approach it.

Black House by Stephen King, Peter Straub

Black House

Fantasy Horror

Pages: 658
Published: 2001
Language: English

Synopsis

Jack Sawyer is a retired Los Angeles homicide detective who has settled in French Landing, a small town in Wisconsin. Twenty years have passed since his childhood trip through the Territories, and he has no wish to work another murder. Then a serial killer known in the press as the Fisherman begins taking children, and police chief Dale Gilbertson asks him to lend a hand.

The case tightens around a boy named Tyler Marshall, and it soon stops behaving like an ordinary manhunt. Jack's old ability to cross between worlds comes back to him. The trail leads to an odd house that appears to open onto both our world and the Territories.

This is a sequel to The Talisman, so Jack's earlier adventure matters to what he faces here. It blends a police procedural with fantasy horror, and it also connects the Talisman story to the wider Dark Tower universe. Stephen King and Peter Straub wrote it together.

The tone is dark. The pace builds slowly and steadily, moving from a detective investigation into something stranger and more frightening as the search for the missing children closes in.

Collected in

Novels

5 reviews

How it reads

Dark Tense Mysterious Creepy Atmospheric

Portal Fantasy Reluctant Hero

Prose complexity 7/10

Content warnings (3)

ViolenceKidnappingCannibalism

Genres

Subjects

Abbalan Abduction Ada Meyerhoff Albert Fish Albert Goldman Alicde Alice Weathers Allen Ginsberg Alley Oop Althea Burnside Amy St. Pierre Andrew Wyeth Anglo Leone Anndrew Railsback Annie Oakley Ardis Walker Armand St. Pierre Arnold Hrabowski Arnold Schwartznegger Artie Shaw Asesinato Asesinatos seriales Ashley Maxton Auden August Derleth Beatrice Lodge Becky Thatcher Benny Goodman Bernard Malamud Bertha Van Dussen Beth Warren Betty Boop Bill Evans Bill Towns Billy May Black Jack McGurk Black Sabbath Blaine Bobby Dulac Bob Holtz Bob Hope Bob Seger Boogeyman Brook Greer Bruce Wayne Buck Evitz Bud Selig Bunny Berigan Bunny Boettcher Butch Yerxa Cab Calloway Carl Bierstone Carl Sandburg Carpenter Cary Grant Catherine Deneuve Charles Burnside Charles Dickens (1812-1870)Charles Willeford Charlie Parker Chesney Wold Chester Himes Chicago Chick Webb Chuck Seals Claire Evinrude Clifford Coulee County Cozy Cole C.S. Lewis Daisy Temperly Dale Gilbertson Daniel Barenboim Danny Tcheda d'Artagnan Dean Kissinger Dean Martin Debbi Anderson Dee Dee Ramone Deke Purvis Descartes Detective and mystery fiction Devil-Dog Dexter Gordon Dick Curless Dick Haymes Dion Dirtysperm Dit Jesperson Don Juan Don Wanderly Doodles Sanger Dracula Dr. Spiegleman Duane updahl Duke Ellington Ebbie Wexler Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)Ed Gilbertson Edmund Emil Kemper III Edward R. Murrow Edward Teach Iliana Tedesco Ellen Renniker Ellery Queen Elmer Jesperson Elroy Elvar Praetorious Elvena Morton Elvis Presley End-World Erland Runkleman Ernest Hemmingway Ernie Therriault Estelle Packard Esther Summerson Ethan Evans Ex-police officers Ex-policía Far Eyes Farfield Porter Farren Fats Manassas Ficción Fiction - Horror Flora Flostad Floyd Neary Ford Madox Ford Frank Neary Frank Sinatra Franky Shellbarger Fred Astaire Fred Brogan Freddy Garver Freddy Saknessum Fred Marshall Fritz Haarman Fu Manchu Garfield Garland Bell Gary Cooper Gary Snyder Gene Krupa George Irkenham George Potter George Smith Georgette Porter George W. Bush Georgial O'Keefe Gertrude Lepplemier Gertrude Stein Geza Vermes Glad Bumstead Glen Miller Glenn Gould Merlin Graasheimer God Gorg Grace Budd Grace Kelly Gretel Gunslingers From Gilead Hansel Harry Potter Harry Reilly Helen Irkenham Henry Acheson Henry Leyden Henry Shake Herbert Maxton Herb Roeper Hercule Poirot Herman Flagler Hermie Boettcher Hoagy Carmichael Hoover Dalrymple Horror - General Horst P. Lepplemier Howard Stern Howie Soule Hubert Cantinaro Humphrey Bogart Humpty Dumpty Imelda Marcos Ina Gatskill Investigation Irkenham Irma Freneau Irving Christie Irving Throneberry Jack Aubrey Jack Sawyer Jack the Ripper Jacques Cousteau Jacques Derrida (1930-2004)James Thurber Jane Bond Jane Wyatt's Clit Jarnbyce Jeffrey Black Jeffrey Dahmer Jeromy Burnitz Jerry Garcia Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Springer Jim Carrey Jim Jones Joe Strummer Johann Sebastian Bach John Bunch John Cominic Crossan John Dillinger John Ellison John Grisham Johnn Paycheck Johnny Mandel Johnny Mathis John P. Redding John Watson John Wayne John Wayne Gacy John Wesley Jonah Jonathan Davis Josella Rakine Judas Judy DeLois Julie Andrews Julius Holland Kent Gilbertson Kimberley Kirby Tessier Kiz Martin Korn Kurt Cobain Lady Dedlock Lady Godiva Lady Magowan Lady Sophie Lance Hovdahl Laura DeLoessian Lawrence Welk Lee Harvey Oswald Legion Leicster Dedlock Lenore Leroy Brown Lester Moon Lester Parker Lester Young Lily Cavanaugh Lily Sawyer Lord Malshun Los Angeles Lynyrd Skynyrd Machiavelli Madge Mad Mongoloid Marcel Proust (1871-1922)Marion Maxton Mark Loretta Mark McGwire Marshall Marshall Dillon Martin Weathers Mary Maryann Mayor Daley Michael Harrington Milly Kuby Milton Wanderly Miss Graham Moby Dick Monday Man Morgan of Orris Morgan Sloat Morris Rosen Morty Fine Mouse Baumann Mr. Baumann Mr. Bell Mr. DeLois Mr. Gilbertson Mr. Holland Mr. Lackley Mr. Rosen Mr. Sanger Mrs. Budd Mrs. Gilbertson Mrs. Kemper Mrs. Locher Mrs. Metzger Mrs. Moon Mrs. Normandie Mrs. Osgood Mrs. Rathburn Mrs. Rouncewell Mrs. Syverson Murder Nancy Hale Nancy O'Neal New York Times reviewed Nick Avery Noah Norman Rockwell Norma Whitestone Novela Novela de misterio Novela fantástica Oprah Winfrey Osmond Otto Eismann Pam Stevens Parkus Patricia Patsy Cline Patty Jarvis Patty Loveless Paula Fredricksen Paul Desmond Paul Harvey Paul Nestler Penniman Perry Brown Perry Como Pete Wexler Petra English Phil Flanigan Philip Stevenson Sawyer Pokey Reese Police Policía Queen Bee Rafael Furcal Raggedy Ann Rajan Patel Ralph Monny Randy Gilbertson Ray Bradbury Ray Charles Rebecca Vilas Reginald Amberson Reinhold T. Grauerhammer Rhoda Gilbertson Rhoda Leyden Richard Sloat Richie Bumstead Richie Sexon Rico Robert Frost Robert Gardner Robert Redford Roderick Usher Rod Tisbury Roland Deschain Ronald Reagan Ronnie Metzger Roy Hobbs Roy Royal Roy Soderholm Rube Goldberg Rush Limbaugh (1951-2021)Sal Turso Sam Browne Sam Lee Sammy Hooten Samuel Stutz Sarah Gilbertson Scooby Doo Scott LaFargo Sean Connery Serial murderers Serial murders Shaquille O'Neal Sherlock Holmes Sherwood Anderson Shirley Jackson Slobberbone Smokey Updike Sniveling Shits Sonny Hartfield Sophie Sophie of Canna Spenser Hovdahl Steamy McKay Stella Steppenwolf STeve Martink Janna Massengale Steven Avery Superman Susan Osgood Sydney Carton Symphonic Stan the Big-Band Man Tamarack Tansy Freneau Ted Brautigan Ted Bundy Ted Goltz The Breakers The Crimson King The Little Sisters The Overseers The Slow Mutants The Speaking Demon The Supremes The Territories The Wisconsin Rat The Witch Thornberg Kinderling Thorvald Thorvaldson Tiger Woods Tillie Royal Timothy Leary Tinky Winky T.J. Renniker Tom Cruise Tom Lund Tommy Dorsey Tommy Erbter Tommy Flannagan Tommy Lee Jones Tom Sawyer Tom Tom Boettcher Tom Wiggins Tony Kornheiser Toots Billinger Toto Trace Adkins Trevor Gordon Trey Maxton Troy Tubby Turner Topham Tyler Ucky Ducky Van Morrison Vaugn Monroe Vera Hutchinson Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (1899-1977)Walrus Wanda Kinderling Warren Vanche Weenie Erickson Wendell Green Wes Craven William Blake William F. Buckley Jr William Gafney William Maxton William Strassner Winnie the Pooh Wisconsin Wisconsin Wolf woody Herman Woody Strode Yul Brenner

Places

French Landing · Fictional The Territories · Fictional Wisconsin

Jack SawyerProtagonist

Retired Los Angeles homicide detective living in French Landing, Wisconsin, who is drawn back into the case and toward the Territories he once crossed into as a boy.

The Fisherman (Black House)Antagonist

Serial killer who abducts and murders children in French Landing, and the target of the manhunt.

Henry LeydenSupporting

Blind radio disc jockey who voices several on-air personalities and is a friend and ally to Jack.

Tyler MarshallSupporting

Young boy at the center of the investigation into the child abductions in French Landing.

Judy MarshallSupporting

Tyler's mother, who is struggling badly as the town's children disappear.

All characters in Black House

Stephen KingFiction · Horror·b. 1947

Peter StraubHorror · Fiction·1943–2022

Yes. Black House (2001), co-written by King and Peter Straub, follows Jack Sawyer twenty years after the events of The Talisman. As an adult, Jack has suppressed all memory of the Territories and works as a retired LAPD detective living in Wisconsin. A series of brutal child murders draws him back toward the world he had forgotten.
More explicitly than The Talisman did. Black House directly introduces Roland of Gilead and his ka-tet, and the novel's central threat—a location called Black House—is connected to the Crimson King and the Dark Tower's mythology. It is one of the novels King recommends reading before the later Dark Tower volumes.
The Fisherman is the serial killer at the center of the mystery—an elderly man in Tamarack, Wisconsin, who is killing and partially consuming children. His identity is discoverable early in the novel, but his supernatural connection to Black House and the entity controlling him is the real horror.
Black House is a condemned, isolated structure on the outskirts of Tamarack that functions as a kind of portal or staging area between the physical world and the Dark Tower's multiverse. Its atmosphere is deeply wrong—animals avoid it, and most people cannot bring themselves to approach it.

The Talisman

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The Talisman

Black House

Other Worlds Than These

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Mahtab4/5 ⭐ I love both [b:The Talisman|59219|The Talisman (The Talisman, #1)|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1170530286l/59219.SX50.jpg|3324421] and the Black House but in different ways and honestly, I liked the former just a little more. Nevertheless, Black House is amazing. It's very classic King while adding some new layer to King's universe. I love how King and Straub related the story to King's metaverse and the Dark Tower. The Talisman/Black House are also very similar to [b:It|830502|It|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1334416842l/830502.SY75.jpg|150259] in some aspects, with Jack having to go back to a place from his childhood after 20 years of oppressing the memories. Even the crime in Black House is similar to IT and I was partly convinced it was about IT or some creature of the same breed in the beginning. And the ending was pretty fine in my opinion. Jack's story could end here but a part of me also wants to see more of him. So, I'd love a third book in the series but I could also be content with this ending. (Minor Spoiler) Henry deserved better.

Black House

Synopsis

Collected in

How it reads

Genres, subjects and placesFantasy, Horror, Mystery +459

Genres

Subjects

Places

CharactersJack Sawyer, The Fisherman (Black House), Henry Leyden +4

AuthorsStephen King, Peter Straub

Frequently asked questionsIs Black House a sequel to The Talisman? +3

The Talisman

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