Premium independent book publisher The Folio Society is releasing a special version of Stephen King’s classic 1986 clown horror novel IT on July 15. And, well, it’s not cheap.
The special edition, printed in a small run that’s limited to only 500 copies, is hand-illustrated and will set you back a whopping $825. As of this writing, a vanilla Kindle copy of IT costs just $13 on Amazon—worth every penny(wise), by the way—but if you utilize that option, you won’t get all the touted extras of The Folio Society’s upcoming physical artisan tome:
“This is IT as horror fans have never seen it. Approved by King himself, the edition features haunting original artwork from Jim Burns, tattered, blood-soaked design by typographer David Curtis, and a brand-new introduction by none other than Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro. From unsettling endpapers to a stark crimson balloon on the slipcase, every detail pays tribute to the terror that has haunted dreams and stalked sewers for nearly four decades.”
Obviously, this kind of thing is aimed at serious book collectors only, and I’m sure the people with this kind of literary taste (and cash) might not bat an eye at spending close to $1,000 on a single novel. That said, IT is one of my favorite books of all time, and even I’m tempted to obtain such a unique special edition. The added aesthetics and design are both appealing, undoubtedly, but I’m mostly interested in Guillermo del Toro’s added words.
I’ve heard he’s a King fan, and to this day, I wonder why del Toro has never adapted any of the legendary Maine writer’s work to film. The two seem like a natural creative pairing, so I’m really interested in reading this new IT introduction. Hell, I’d actually love to see del Toro take a proper stab at IT, although the material has been adapted to death, going back to the TV miniseries starring Tim Curry.
Admittedly, none of the previous adaptations have truly hit home for me, although HBO’s Welcome to Derry looks somewhat promising. Even though a del Toro take on IT would be compelling, I’d probably prefer he focus on one of the lesser-known King stories, like perhaps Duma Key. Or honestly, can we get a The Jaunt movie already?
It will be fascinating to see how fast these IT limited editions sell out when they get listed early next week. I’ll be watching from the sidelines with searing jealousy, thumbing through my old, worn-out paperback, and hoping I don’t see any rogue balloons.
