IT — Stephen King, Viking 1st Ed 1986

IT by Stephen King (1986, Viking Penguin) — the complete hardcover horror epic, in the sought-after first printing with the unclipped $22.95 dust jacket. A cornerstone of modern horror collecting.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: Stephen King (b. 1947)
• Publisher: Viking Penguin Inc., New York
• Year: 1986 (first edition, first printing)
• Format: Hardcover with dust jacket (unclipped $22.95)
• Pages: 1,138 | ISBN: 0-670-81302-8
• Jacket: Design by Neil Stuart; illustration by Bob Giusti; lettering by Amy Hill
• Condition: Book Good+/Very Good-; jacket Very Good (full report below)

THE STORY

Set in the small Maine city of Derry, IT follows a group of outcast children, the “Losers’ Club,” who band together in 1958 to fight a shape-shifting ancient evil that surfaces every 27 years, and who reunite as adults in 1985 when it returns. Blending the terror of Pennywise the Dancing Clown with a memorable portrait of childhood friendship, it is often cited as King’s most ambitious single novel and one of the defining works of late-20th-century horror.

THIS EDITION

Published September 15, 1986, IT was the most expensive Viking publication to that date and the first King novel to test a first printing of 400,000 copies. The copyright page carries the correct first-edition statement, “First published in 1986 by Viking Penguin Inc.,” with no printing designation beneath the “Set in Garamond No. 3” line — the identifier of the first printing (later states were marked Second through Fifth Printing). Printed in the United States by R. R. Donnelley & Sons. The dedication page reads “This book is gratefully dedicated to my children” — named Naomi Rachel King, Joseph Hillstrom King, and Owen Philip King — closing with the line, “Kids, fiction is the truth inside the lie, and the truth of this fiction is simple enough: the magic exists.”

COVER ART & DESIGN

The black dust jacket carries the instantly recognizable design by Neil Stuart: the author’s name set large and white above the dark, distressed red title IT, with Bob Giusti’s grim street illustration of a storm drain and a small white paper boat headed toward it. The boards are black paper over black cloth with metallic red spine lettering and a red “SK” monogram blind-stamped on the front. The flap copy opens “Derry: a small city in Maine, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own home town. Only in Derry the haunting is real…”

WHY IT MATTERS

• First printing of the first American edition — the most collectible state, with the correct unclipped $22.95 first-state jacket.
• The powerhouse King title that made hardcover horror a mass-market phenomenon in the 1980s.
• Source of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, one of popular culture’s most iconic horror figures.
• Interior pages photographed in this listing confirm the 1,138-page text.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Is this a first edition / first printing? Yes — the copyright page reads “First published in 1986 by Viking Penguin Inc.” with no printing statement, matching the first printing identification.

Is the dust jacket original and unclipped? Yes — it is the original first-state design with the $22.95 price unclipped on the front flap and no remainder marks.

Is it signed? No — this copy is unsigned.

FOR COLLECTORS

This is the first printing with jacket elements (Neil Stuart / Bob Giusti / Amy Hill) intact — the edition most collectors seek. The book grades G+/VG- with crisp corners, tight hinges, and clean boards; the jacket remains uniform in color without sunning.

Condition Report

Overall Grade: Book: Good+ (G+)/Very Good- (VG-) / Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)

Cover & Spine: Black cloth spine over matching black paper-covered boards with striking metallic red spine lettering and red “SK” monogram on front cover. Cloth at spine head and tail show some light sunning, as do the bottom edge of the boards. Corners are relatively crisp with a little wear on the tips. Boards are clear with no surface scuffs.

Dust Jacket: Unclipped ($22.95). Some light edge wear in places, uniform in color all around, not sunned. Inside flaps upper edges show some tanning. No marks, tags, or tears.

Text Block & Pages: Lightly age-toned text block with minimal scattered foxing spots along outer edge; pages remain clean and bright throughout. Bottom block edge has some foxing and a linear light stain running most block depth. The back free endpaper has an inadvertent diagonal crease to its upper corner.

Binding: Solid, tight, and square, solid hinges. No loose, torn or folded pages. No writing.

See accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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