If you picked up The Talisman back in 1984, you have been waiting a long time for this. Stephen King is finally delivering the third and last book in that series. It is called Other Worlds Than These, and it arrives on October 6, 2026.
That first book came out forty-two years ago. King and his friend, the late Peter Straub, co-wrote that one together. They reunited for the second book, Black House, in 2001. Now King is carrying the story home on his own.
The story picks right back up with Jack Sawyer. He is older now (which feels fitting given how long we have all been waiting), and he is up against a fresh crisis. A gang of infected teenagers is threatening the world, and Jack has to stop them. He also has to deal with something called the Gullet, a mysterious force at the edge of Mid-World. As the book tells it, the older Jack finds these battles harder than they used to be. Sounds about right.
The Audiobook Gets a Surprising Voice
Like the earlier books, Other Worlds Than These will have an audiobook version. And the narrator is a fun choice: comedian and actor Patton Oswalt.
Oswalt has said that King is the reason he fell in love with storytelling in the first place. He discovered King’s novels when he was just 10 years old. So getting to step inside the world of the Dark Tower series is, by his own description, “a little unreal.”
King seems equally pleased. And here is a charming detail: the novel features a stand-up comedian. His name in the book? Payton Orville. Coincidence or something more? King is not saying.
Where to Get Your Copy
You can pre-order now through Simon and Schuster’s website. When it comes out, you will also find it on Audible and Google Books if you prefer listening.
Of course, Other Worlds Than These will be available in print too, for those of us who still like turning actual pages. Just know that the print version does not come with Oswalt’s narration.
October 6, 2026. Mark it on the calendar. After more than four decades, Jack Sawyer is getting his final chapter, and so are we.