Later on in the series he also turned to referencing other series in a way I'm sure he thought was clever, similar to how he wrote himself into his own book. I didn't care for it. He also had the annoying habit of using cultural references as a crutch for world and character building. Oh, see this thing, it's just like a light saber from star wars! Or those flying objects, they're sneetches from harry potter! Well, that's one way to write a book. The DT was a sweeping, intricate, wild ride to nowhere. I'd put it in the same box as LOST. I don't regret either. I enjoyed them both immensely. But they weren't leading anywhere, and I didn't need to reprimanded by King at the end for wanting a satisfying ending.