Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
July 27, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Screen & Stage • Horror

It

It is a 1986 horror novel by Stephen King set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine.

Updated July 27, 20261 min readCited sources

It is a 1986 horror novel by Stephen King set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. The story follows the Losers' Club as they confront a shape-shifting evil entity that often appears as Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

Plot

The novel alternates between two timelines. In the first, a group of outcast children called the Losers' Club discovers an ancient evil that preys on the town's children. Years later, the same group reunites as adults when the terror returns to Derry.

Characters and antagonist

The Losers' Club consists of seven children who bond over their shared fear and outsider status. The antagonist is It, a shape-shifting entity that most famously appears as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. It awakens roughly every 27 years to feed on children.

Adaptations

It has been adapted into several films. The 2017 film focuses on the children's timeline, condensing the novel's plot into a feature-length story. A sequel, It Chapter Two, covers the adult timeline. The novel remains one of King's most popular works.

In short

  • The novel alternates between childhood and adult timelines.
  • It shape-shifts but most often appears as Pennywise.
  • The Losers' Club is a group of seven outcast children.
  • Adaptations include the 2017 film It and its sequel.
Canadian angle

Stephen King’s It is widely read in Canada and frequently appears in Canadian libraries, bookstores, and university horror-fiction discussions.

Quick questions

What is It about?
It is about the Losers' Club, a group of children who face an ancient evil that preys on children in Derry, Maine, and later return as adults to fight it again.
Who wrote It?
It was written by Stephen King.
How long is the novel?
It is commonly described as just over 1,000 pages, depending on the edition.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_(novel)
    Supports: Plot structure, Losers’ Club, Derry setting, alternating timelines, and Pennywise/It details.
  2. Stephen King — https://stephenking.com/works/novel/it.html
    Supports: Official description of the novel’s premise and the adults returning to Derry.
  3. Audible — https://www.audible.com/blog/summary-it-by-stephen-king
    Supports: Publication year, approximate length, antagonist name, and 27-year cycle.
  4. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1396484/plotsummary/
    Supports: 2017 film plot and principal cast context.