It is a 1986 horror novel by Stephen King. The story follows the experiences of seven children as they are terrorized by an entity that exploits the fears and phobias of its victims to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It" primarily appears in the form of a clown to attract its preferred prey of young children.
The first printed edition worldwide (around six months prior to the first US publishing) was a special luxury collector's edition in German, published by Edition Phantasia. This edition was limited to 250 pieces (counted in Arabic numerals), plus 30 not-for-sale pieces (counted in Roman numerals). The book was a hardback, bound in black leather with red and silver stampings, in a slipcase of red velvet (which lead to its affectionate nickname "The Red Brick" within the German Stephen King-fandom).
The legal status of this publishing is questionable, although Edition Phantasia had a licensing contract with Heyne Verlag (the copyright holder of the German rights). For some reason, Stephen King was unhappy with this publishing and It is rumoured that he wasn't asked for permission for this special edition, however it is not known if his contract with Heyne would have made it necessary to do so.
