''The Slow Mutants'' is a

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

novella by American writer Stephen King, originally published in ''

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...

'' in July

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

. In 1982, "The Slow Mutants" was collected with four other stories King published in ''The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction'' as '' The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger''. "The Slow Mutants" formed the fourth chapter of the book, and was slightly revised for the inclusion.

Plot

Roland and

Jake Jake may refer to: Name * Jake (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Katrin Jäke (born c. 1975), German swimmer * Jake (gamer), American ''Overwatch'' player and coach Animals * Jake (rescue dog), a ...

make their way through a railway tunnel using a

hand car A handcar (also known as a pump trolley, pump car, rail push trolley, push-trolley, jigger, Kalamazoo, velocipede, or draisine) is a railroad car powered by its passengers, or by people pushing the car from behind. It is mostly used as a railway ...

cart created by the Great Old Ones. During this time, to distract the boy, Roland tells him a story of his childhood (which is also told in ''

Wizard and Glass ''Wizard and Glass'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Stephen King. It is the fourth book in '' The Dark Tower'' series, published in 1997. Subtitled "Regard", it placed fourth in the annual Locus Poll for best fantasy novel. Synopsis The ...

'' and ''

The Gunslinger Born ''The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born'' is a seven-issue comic book Limited series (comics), limited series published by Marvel Comics. It is the The Dark Tower (comics), first comic book miniseries based on Stephen King's ''The Dark Tower (series) ...

''). At age fourteen, Roland discovered his mother having an affair with his father's court magician, Marten Broadcloak. Marten taunted Roland in order to spur him into an early trial to prove his worth as a

gunslinger Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the t ...

, in order that he would fail and be sent into exile, therefore ending potential trouble for the Good Man and

Crimson King The Crimson King, known to some as Los' or Ram Abbalah, is a fictional character created by Stephen King and the main antagonist of King's eight-volume ''Dark Tower'' series, as well as the novels '' Insomnia'' (1994) and '' Black House'' (20 ...

to whom Marten secretly swore allegiance. Roland faced his teacher Cort, using his hawk David as his weapon and deliberately sacrificing him in order to gain the upper hand, and passed the trial. While traveling through the mountain, Roland and Jake are attacked by a pack of

slow mutant ''The Dark Tower'' is a series of eight novels, one short story, and a children's book written by American author Stephen King. Incorporating themes from multiple genres, including dark fantasy, science fantasy, horror, and Western, it des ...

s, who block the track in an attempt to catch them. Jake clears the obstruction just in time for them to escape, and they travel on to the edge of a deep chasm spanned by a dilapidated trestle. They abandon the hand car and start crossing on foot. Nearing the other end, Jake slips and Roland catches him, but the man in black arrives to offer Roland a choice: let the boy die or never catch him. Roland lets Jake fall to his death and exits the tunnel with the man in black.

References

1980s novellas Fantasy short stories Novellas by Stephen King The Dark Tower (series) short stories Works originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction {{1980s-fantasy-story-stub

Plot

See also

References