pgsrt-4: You've gotta read the first three, then come back and read the fourth again. That series pulls on the previous books so much that it's hard to understand what's going on unless you've already read the previous one. As I recall, there were references in 4 going all the way back to The Gunslinger (1 I believe). There have been so many King books turned movie over the years, and to be honest, I've always preferred the book to the movie. Between IT, The Stand, Tommyknockers, The Langoliers, Christine, I've always felt that the story is too much to fit into one tidy little 105 minute window. But now, it seems that producers aren't so afraid to make multiple pictures to tell the same story, and people seem to be willing to pay to see a movie that is two to two and half hours long in the theaters. Also, I think that the technology is there now to really do justice to King's imagination. Future King movies should be great, as long as the screen writers, producers, and directors stay true to the book.