_All the information is on the task_ Not that kind of task. > _It sounds melodramatic, but Gwendy Peterson knows it’s true: the fate of the world depends on what’s inside that box_. > > Stephen King and Richard Chizmar, **Gwendy’s Final Task** So comes to an end, a trilogy spun out of a novella that King couldn’t finish. There is something to admire in how Richard Chizmar turned what could have been a quietly compelling retelling of a **Twilight****Zone** episode (not even one from the original series) into a whole trilogy, one which touches upon King’s universe-spanning series **The Dark Tower**. It is at least better than the previous book, that much is for certain, and Gwendy’s final journey out into the infinite black certain has the power to tug on the heartstrings. But much like the original book, this a small story strung out over the course of a longer narrative that can’t really support what the writers want to do. The subplot about Gwendy’s husband’s death is mostly an excuse to feature the Low Men it seems, and to offer at least one grounded element to the story, but doesn’t add much to the plot. A focused bunker-style story just set on a space station may have been more tense and exciting, but otherwise it seems flabby. One problem I’ve seen some fans have is with the retcons to earlier stories. I have less of a problem with it personally. I always think that reframing expectations and foreshadowing makes for more interesting stories, and reframing Gwendy’s death to be a dying vision as opposed to reality is not a bad one. Considering the button box’s ability to potentially tear down the Dark Tower itself, that it could change the expected future to be the one depicted in the book isn’t exactly beyond the realms of believability. I more have a problem in that the book doesn’t seem to be about anything. It’s certainly a book borne from the COVID pandemic – there are enough references, with the coronavirus to make sure you are definitely aware of that – but it doesn’t really do anything with that. Arguably, characterising the Tet and Sombra Corporation along political lines with Gwendy and Gareth Winston is potentially interesting, as well as delivering on the promise of corporate war between the two promised in **Dark Tower VII**. But much like the aforementioned Low Men, it’s only mentioned. It’s there, not playing a large enough role to be interesting, but too small a role to be ignored. There is also the element of class that peeks through. Gwendy is constantly lauded, having been born and raised in Maine and pulled herself up by her bootstraps. She is contrasted throughout the book not just with Gareth Winston but also her political opponent earlier in the book, who are much more assuming of their power and many riches. Gwendy takes nothing for granted, appreciating what she has, what she lost and what she has to do. It’s a constant King theme that is unsurprising that Chizmar has picked up on – that of the power of ordinary folk in the face of awful powers and unspeakable evils. Only… We are told Gwendy is told she is special, and her chocolate deliveries from the button box do give her an unfair advantage. Maybe it’s about the power and importance of the individual. Coming as it does from the time of Trump and COVID (and being read in the era of _Trump 2: This Time It’s Worse_), it’s not a disheartening message to read about. It’s an empowering message about how a person can make a difference. But then, she is a politician, and the Democrats are generally spineless weaklings who want to meet in the middle with actual fascists, religious nuts and moronic billionaires. Even the reading of the box from previous books as metaphor for the Cold War and nuclear arms doesn’t quite work this time round. It becomes just an object of power that besides the implied effects on Jonestown and Coronavirus, we never really see in full danger mode. Its threat always remains hypothetical. At least the magic feather returns, which I suppose highlights the importance and magic to be found in the mundane, rather than the big shiny things than can kill us all. Even that is a bit of a pull to justify the otherwise nothing second book. This is the problem with the book overall. Nothing seems to fully lead anywhere, just drifting towards an ending both metaphorically and literally. Even the early indications of Richard Farris being a version of Flagg doesn’t now jibe with the presentation here (unless you don’t mind a bit off-page character development – see speculation below). There are some cringe-worthy moments of writing – Gareth Winston has an awful villain turn towards the end, exposition that is painful (though him including the detail about the panty stealing did a get a laugh from me) and way on the nose moment where everyone turns to their pinging phone mid-finale. There are some big swings – setting a book in space with a straight face certainly takes some balls, and in terms of pure story it is satisfying enough. But imagine if **The Mist** had been strung out for another book or two – or an ongoing series even. A story has a length, not everything has to be split into, or turned into a trilogy. But if you can get past that, then this is a very quick read that delivers a suitable ending for Gwendy. But please – this is enough. **Observations and Connections** As part of the **Gwendy** trilogy, I won’t make note of references to previous books, unless it feels relevant to highlight. Locations included Castle Rock, Gwendy’s hometown as mentioned in previous entries. Sheriff Ridgewick also returns as the bearer of bad news. There is also talk of Derry, with Gwendy writing about the Bradley Gang Massacre, both of which were described in **It**. More interestingly is the references to Pennywise, who should be dead by this point. Maybe the spirit of the clown lives on, and the town will never truly escape its grasp. Juniper Hill also gets a quick mention, first introduced in **It** too. Richard Farris returns, and seems markedly different to the expectations of Randall Flagg (first introduced in **The Stand**). However, timeline wise, the last Gwendy book was set in 1999, and Flagg’s last appearance was in **The Dark Tower VII** in 2004 where he was killed. Since he reincarnated all the time, maybe that death was the beginning of a kind of redemption for him, and everything subsequent has been in service of the Tower. It would explain his dying, trying to truly make ends as all those deaths catch up with him. And speaking of the Tower… Right from the opening chapter, we are witnessing Eagle-19 Heavy being launched by what appears to be the Tet Corporation, the company launched by Roland and his ka-tet to protect the Rose in **The Dark Tower VII**. Similarly, Gareth Winston is in league with he Sombra Corporation, the company of the Crimson King, and the Low Men from **Hearts in Atlantis** are back in their employ. Maybe following the King’s imprisonment at the end of the last **Tower** book, they’ve been on the lookout for artifacts that can alter reality or harm the Tower – much like they did in **Ur** from **Bazaar of Bad Dreams**. The brief glimpse of another world is interesting. It doesn’t match anything we’ve seen before, but it did put me in the mind of the Territories from **The Talisman**. I wonder if Gareth Winston flipped into his twinner. Of the other custodians of the button box, one is likened to the white pieces on a chess board. This recalls the forces of good which are also called the White (or the Purpose, if considering **Insomnia**) who fight against the Outer Dark. There are, again, so many **19** s, now to the point of distraction. Everything from the rocket number to Gwendy’s passcode. It’s all **19**. UP NEXT: Our first foray into the novella collection **If It Bleeds**. If only there was some catchy rhyme to go with it. ### Share this: * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * More * * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Like Loading... ### _Related_

_All the information is on the task_ Not that kind of task. > _It sounds melodramatic, but Gwendy Peterson knows it’s true: the fate of the world depends on what’s inside that box_. > > Stephen King and Richard Chizmar, **Gwendy’s Final Task** So comes to an end, a trilogy spun out of a novella that King couldn’t finish. There is something to admire in how Richard Chizmar turned what could have been a quietly compelling retelling of a **Twilight****Zone** episode (not even one from the original series) into a whole trilogy, one which touches upon King’s universe-spanning series **The Dark Tower**. It is at least better than the previous book, that much is for certain, and Gwendy’s final journey out into the infinite black certain has the power to tug on the heartstrings. But much like the original book, this a small story strung out over the course of a longer narrative that can’t really support what the writers want to do. The subplot about Gwendy’s husband’s death is mostly an excuse to feature the Low Men it seems, and to offer at least one grounded element to the story, but doesn’t add much to the plot. A focused bunker-style story just set on a space station may have been more tense and exciting, but otherwise it seems flabby. One problem I’ve seen some fans have is with the retcons to earlier stories. I have less of a problem with it personally. I always think that reframing expectations and foreshadowing makes for more interesting stories, and reframing Gwendy’s death to be a dying vision as opposed to reality is not a bad one. Considering the button box’s ability to potentially tear down the Dark Tower itself, that it could change the expected future to be the one depicted in the book isn’t exactly beyond the realms of believability. I more have a problem in that the book doesn’t seem to be about anything. It’s certainly a book borne from the COVID pandemic – there are enough references, with the coronavirus to make sure you are definitely aware of that – but it doesn’t really do anything with that. Arguably, characterising the Tet and Sombra Corporation along political lines with Gwendy and Gareth Winston is potentially interesting, as well as delivering on the promise of corporate war between the two promised in **Dark Tower VII**. But much like the aforementioned Low Men, it’s only mentioned. It’s there, not playing a large enough role to be interesting, but too small a role to be ignored. There is also the element of class that peeks through. Gwendy is constantly lauded, having been born and raised in Maine and pulled herself up by her bootstraps. She is contrasted throughout the book not just with Gareth Winston but also her political opponent earlier in the book, who are much more assuming of their power and many riches. Gwendy takes nothing for granted, appreciating what she has, what she lost and what she has to do. It’s a constant King theme that is unsurprising that Chizmar has picked up on – that of the power of ordinary folk in the face of awful powers and unspeakable evils. Only… We are told Gwendy is told she is special, and her chocolate deliveries from the button box do give her an unfair advantage. Maybe it’s about the power and importance of the individual. Coming as it does from the time of Trump and COVID (and being read in the era of _Trump 2: This Time It’s Worse_), it’s not a disheartening message to read about. It’s an empowering message about how a person can make a difference. But then, she is a politician, and the Democrats are generally spineless weaklings who want to meet in the middle with actual fascists, religious nuts and moronic billionaires. Even the reading of the box from previous books as metaphor for the Cold War and nuclear arms doesn’t quite work this time round. It becomes just an object of power that besides the implied effects on Jonestown and Coronavirus, we never really see in full danger mode. Its threat always remains hypothetical. At least the magic feather returns, which I suppose highlights the importance and magic to be found in the mundane, rather than the big shiny things than can kill us all. Even that is a bit of a pull to justify the otherwise nothing second book. This is the problem with the book overall. Nothing seems to fully lead anywhere, just drifting towards an ending both metaphorically and literally. Even the early indications of Richard Farris being a version of Flagg doesn’t now jibe with the presentation here (unless you don’t mind a bit off-page character development – see speculation below). There are some cringe-worthy moments of writing – Gareth Winston has an awful villain turn towards the end, exposition that is painful (though him including the detail about the panty stealing did a get a laugh from me) and way on the nose moment where everyone turns to their pinging phone mid-finale. There are some big swings – setting a book in space with a straight face certainly takes some balls, and in terms of pure story it is satisfying enough. But imagine if **The Mist** had been strung out for another book or two – or an ongoing series even. A story has a length, not everything has to be split into, or turned into a trilogy. But if you can get past that, then this is a very quick read that delivers a suitable ending for Gwendy. But please – this is enough. **Observations and Connections** As part of the **Gwendy** trilogy, I won’t make note of references to previous books, unless it feels relevant to highlight. Locations included Castle Rock, Gwendy’s hometown as mentioned in previous entries. Sheriff Ridgewick also returns as the bearer of bad news. There is also talk of Derry, with Gwendy writing about the Bradley Gang Massacre, both of which were described in **It**. More interestingly is the references to Pennywise, who should be dead by this point. Maybe the spirit of the clown lives on, and the town will never truly escape its grasp. Juniper Hill also gets a quick mention, first introduced in **It** too. Richard Farris returns, and seems markedly different to the expectations of Randall Flagg (first introduced in **The Stand**). However, timeline wise, the last Gwendy book was set in 1999, and Flagg’s last appearance was in **The Dark Tower VII** in 2004 where he was killed. Since he reincarnated all the time, maybe that death was the beginning of a kind of redemption for him, and everything subsequent has been in service of the Tower. It would explain his dying, trying to truly make ends as all those deaths catch up with him. And speaking of the Tower… Right from the opening chapter, we are witnessing Eagle-19 Heavy being launched by what appears to be the Tet Corporation, the company launched by Roland and his ka-tet to protect the Rose in **The Dark Tower VII**. Similarly, Gareth Winston is in league with he Sombra Corporation, the company of the Crimson King, and the Low Men from **Hearts in Atlantis** are back in their employ. Maybe following the King’s imprisonment at the end of the last **Tower** book, they’ve been on the lookout for artifacts that can alter reality or harm the Tower – much like they did in **Ur** from **Bazaar of Bad Dreams**. The brief glimpse of another world is interesting. It doesn’t match anything we’ve seen before, but it did put me in the mind of the Territories from **The Talisman**. I wonder if Gareth Winston flipped into his twinner. Of the other custodians of the button box, one is likened to the white pieces on a chess board. This recalls the forces of good which are also called the White (or the Purpose, if considering **Insomnia**) who fight against the Outer Dark. There are, again, so many **19** s, now to the point of distraction. Everything from the rocket number to Gwendy’s passcode. It’s all **19**. UP NEXT: Our first foray into the novella collection **If It Bleeds**. If only there was some catchy rhyme to go with it. ### Share this: * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * More * * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Like Loading... ### _Related_