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The Little Sisters of Eluria

The Little Sisters of Eluria

Dark FantasyFantasy
Pages
312
Published
1998
Language
English

Synopsis

Before he became the last gunslinger, Roland of Gilead wandered a world that had moved on, searching for a trail in the Desatoya Mountains. After an ambush by mutants leaves him at the mercy of a group of eerie nurses, he discovers their healing arts hide a predatory hunger. Roland must find a way to escape their care before he is drained of more than just his memories.

Prose complexity
6/10

Vibe

DarkTenseAtmosphericMysterious
SurvivalAnti-Hero

Genres

Dark Fantasy Fantasy Gothic Horror Body Horror Post-Apocalyptic

About the author

S
Stephen King

Stephen King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author whose work has defined popular horror fiction for more than half a century. Born in Portland, Maine, he grew up in poverty after his father abandoned the family, and credits his mother's resilience and a voracious reading habit as the foundations of his imagination. He began selling short stories to men's magazines while working as a high school English teacher, and published his first novel, Carrie, in 1974—his wife Tabitha retrieved...

Characters

Roland DeschainProtagonist
The Man in BlackCameo
All characters in The Little Sisters of Eluria

Frequently asked questions

  • What is The Little Sisters of Eluria?

    A Dark Tower novella set before the events of The Gunslinger. Roland of Gilead arrives in the ruins of a deserted town called Eluria and is captured by a group of robed women—the Little Sisters—who nurse injured travelers while slowly draining their life. It was first published in the anthology Legends (1998) edited by Robert Silverberg.

  • Where does this story fit in the Dark Tower timeline?

    It is a prequel—taking place before Book 1, The Gunslinger. Readers encounter a younger Roland, though his essential character is fully formed: solitary, skilled, and driven. The story functions as a standalone adventure in his earlier wandering years.

  • Who are the Little Sisters?

    They are a religious order of vampire-like beings who take in injured travelers. They appear as kind nurses but feed on their patients slowly, prolonging their lives while draining them. Their order uses a supernatural creature called 'the doctor' to keep patients in a docile state.

  • Is The Little Sisters of Eluria recommended for new Dark Tower readers?

    It works as a standalone story and requires no prior Dark Tower knowledge, making it a reasonable entry point for curious readers. However, it is most rewarding for those already familiar with Roland and his world. It is collected in Everything's Eventual and referenced throughout the wider Dark Tower series.

  • Is this story available in any other collections?

    It was originally published in the 1998 anthology Legends and was later included in Stephen King's 2002 short story collection, Everything's Eventual.

  • Are there any visual adaptations of this story?

    Marvel Comics published a five-chapter comic book miniseries that adapts the events of this novella.

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