All-World
Encyclopedia
All-World is a fictional location in Stephen King's
The Dark Tower
series of novels. All-World is the world
known to contain the "Keystone Tower" in the Dark Tower series. It is the only world that contains the Dark Tower in its physical form; all others contain a representative of the Tower, such as a rose. From All-World, it is possible to actually enter the Dark Tower.
All-World is divided into three regions; In-World, Mid-World, and End-World. The geography is widely varied. It includes deserts, mountains, rolling plains and vast wastelands. All-World is said to have "moved on." This seems to mean that where there was once great order there is now little if any. For example: the sun does not always rise in the correct place, and at times it will not even cross the sky in an entire day; the compass directions themselves are at drift, what is East today, could be Southeast next week, and next year may be full-on South. According to Blaine the Mono
, a talking monorail that functioned throughout Mid-World, his "Slo-Trans
" engines were supposed to last for millions of years, but were already faltering after a few thousand. However, since time appears to run at different rates all throughout All-World, and given Blaine's dementia, this assessment may not be dependable.
It seems that an extremely advanced civilization once existed in All-World, a parallel United States
, known as the Imperium. This can be inferred from the high degree of similarity between Old Ones' (the name for these ancient people) architecture, automobiles, clothing and the fact that an Old Ones' military outpost used an everyday phone modem and Microsoft
products. They might have spoken English
.
The civilization of the Old Ones is inferred to have collapsed because of the replacement of magic
, which could last forever, with technology
, which would disintegrate if left unattended, but which nevertheless was allowed to be responsible for maintaining the Beams of the Dark Tower.
The Beams are six invisible forces connecting the edge of the world/universe to the center. These Beams are the primary sources of force in All-World and they maintain order. Failure of the Beams causes changes in physical
and astronomical
constants, which causes chaos in nature, as well as in civilization. There were six Beams with twelve Guardians, one for each "Portal" (the end of a Beam) arranged like the spokes of a wheel with The Tower at the center. (see also: The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands). Guardians were based on novels like Shardik
(for the bear) and Maturin
for the turtle (Patrick O'Brian's
character Dr. Stephen Maturin was a naturalist who named at least one species of turtle).
The Old One civilization used technology to maintain the Beams of the Dark Tower instead of magic, and sought to literally control reality. The final blow for the Old One civilization seems to have been nuclear war
, biological warfare
, chemical warfare
, and something "else" that is hinted to be more horrible/powerful than those three, but it is suggested in The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born that it was the final attempt to destroy the Dark Tower itself and rebuild something in their own image as the nexus of space and time. It is not known when such wars took place (but long ago enough that it is in the ancient past, and that the gene lines are finally starting to breed true, or "threaded"), why they took place, or even between which nations or organizations such wars were fought. It is widely hinted the Crimson King was ultimately working behind the scenes, manipulating people and events to bring about civilization's destruction, since such destruction serves his ultimate ends.
The All-World of most of the Dark Tower series is sparsely populated and dangerous, filled with mutants both human and animal, and vast swaths of land are irradiated. Demons and robot
s are to be found, as well as Taheen
, who are in the employ of the Crimson King
. Government
s do not extend beyond the town/local level. Resources are scarce, and relics of the Old Ones' technology exist mainly in perverted, deranged, or damaged forms that threaten instead of helping the last remnants of civilization.
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower (series)
The Dark Tower is a series of books written by American author Stephen King, which incorporates themes from multiple genres, including fantasy, science fantasy, horror and western. It describes a "Gunslinger" and his quest toward a tower, the nature of which is both physical and metaphorical. King...
series of novels. All-World is the world
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
known to contain the "Keystone Tower" in the Dark Tower series. It is the only world that contains the Dark Tower in its physical form; all others contain a representative of the Tower, such as a rose. From All-World, it is possible to actually enter the Dark Tower.
All-World is divided into three regions; In-World, Mid-World, and End-World. The geography is widely varied. It includes deserts, mountains, rolling plains and vast wastelands. All-World is said to have "moved on." This seems to mean that where there was once great order there is now little if any. For example: the sun does not always rise in the correct place, and at times it will not even cross the sky in an entire day; the compass directions themselves are at drift, what is East today, could be Southeast next week, and next year may be full-on South. According to Blaine the Mono
Blaine the Mono
Blaine the Mono is a fictional character appearing in the books The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands and The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass of Stephen King's Dark Tower series....
, a talking monorail that functioned throughout Mid-World, his "Slo-Trans
Slo-Trans
Slo-Trans is a fictional engine in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. In the novels, the engine is part of a class of technology built by the Old Ones, a technologically sophisticated people whose culture no longer exists.-The Engine:...
" engines were supposed to last for millions of years, but were already faltering after a few thousand. However, since time appears to run at different rates all throughout All-World, and given Blaine's dementia, this assessment may not be dependable.
It seems that an extremely advanced civilization once existed in All-World, a parallel United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, known as the Imperium. This can be inferred from the high degree of similarity between Old Ones' (the name for these ancient people) architecture, automobiles, clothing and the fact that an Old Ones' military outpost used an everyday phone modem and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
products. They might have spoken English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
The civilization of the Old Ones is inferred to have collapsed because of the replacement of magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
, which could last forever, with technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, which would disintegrate if left unattended, but which nevertheless was allowed to be responsible for maintaining the Beams of the Dark Tower.
The Beams are six invisible forces connecting the edge of the world/universe to the center. These Beams are the primary sources of force in All-World and they maintain order. Failure of the Beams causes changes in physical
Physical constant
A physical constant is a physical quantity that is generally believed to be both universal in nature and constant in time. It can be contrasted with a mathematical constant, which is a fixed numerical value but does not directly involve any physical measurement.There are many physical constants in...
and astronomical
Astronomical constant
An astronomical constant is a physical constant used in astronomy. A formal set of constants, along with recommended values, was defined by the International Astronomical Union in 1976, and a new set of recommended values was produced in 1994...
constants, which causes chaos in nature, as well as in civilization. There were six Beams with twelve Guardians, one for each "Portal" (the end of a Beam) arranged like the spokes of a wheel with The Tower at the center. (see also: The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands). Guardians were based on novels like Shardik
Shardik
Shardik is a fantasy novel written by Richard Adams in 1974.-Plot introduction:Adams's second novel Shardik concerns a lonely hunter, Kelderek, who pursues Shardik, a giant bear he believes to embody the Power of God; both of them become unwillingly drawn into the politics of an imaginary region...
(for the bear) and Maturin
Aubrey–Maturin series
The Aubrey–Maturin series is a sequence of nautical historical novels—20 completed and one unfinished—by Patrick O'Brian, set during the Napoleonic Wars and centering on the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and his ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin, who is also a physician,...
for the turtle (Patrick O'Brian's
Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian, CBE , born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and centred on the friendship of English Naval Captain Jack Aubrey and the Irish–Catalan physician Stephen...
character Dr. Stephen Maturin was a naturalist who named at least one species of turtle).
The Old One civilization used technology to maintain the Beams of the Dark Tower instead of magic, and sought to literally control reality. The final blow for the Old One civilization seems to have been nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
, biological warfare
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
, chemical warfare
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
, and something "else" that is hinted to be more horrible/powerful than those three, but it is suggested in The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born that it was the final attempt to destroy the Dark Tower itself and rebuild something in their own image as the nexus of space and time. It is not known when such wars took place (but long ago enough that it is in the ancient past, and that the gene lines are finally starting to breed true, or "threaded"), why they took place, or even between which nations or organizations such wars were fought. It is widely hinted the Crimson King was ultimately working behind the scenes, manipulating people and events to bring about civilization's destruction, since such destruction serves his ultimate ends.
The All-World of most of the Dark Tower series is sparsely populated and dangerous, filled with mutants both human and animal, and vast swaths of land are irradiated. Demons and robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s are to be found, as well as Taheen
Taheen
The Taheen are fictional creatures humanlike in proportion, but with animal characteristics. They are mostly mammals and birdlike creatures, and most are under control of the Crimson King. They are mentioned in Stephen King's Dark Tower series; most specifically, they are first hinted at in the...
, who are in the employ of the Crimson King
Crimson King
The Crimson King, also commonly known as Los', is a fictional character created by Stephen King. He is the antagonist in the novel Insomnia the main villain due to a plot twist in Black House and one of the main villains in the latter half of Stephen King's Dark Tower series.-Fictional...
. Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
s do not extend beyond the town/local level. Resources are scarce, and relics of the Old Ones' technology exist mainly in perverted, deranged, or damaged forms that threaten instead of helping the last remnants of civilization.