Now they're really asking for It: film fuels scary obsession with Stephen King's 1986 novel

Because he's sold some 350 million books, you might expect to see local book stores teeming with copies of Stephen King's 1986 novel It.

As it turns out,It isn't easy to find.

A movie adaptation of the novel is due for release Sept. 8 and while you might get your hands on a copy of Cujo, The Shinning or Pet Semetary, finding It won't be easy.

The movie is tipped to rake in $50-million at the box office and thenovel about an evil entity that takes the form of a child-killing clown in smalltown Maine is a hot item again.

At one used bookstore in London, Ont., salespeople say customers are asking for It five or six times a week.

"Stephen King is one of those authors that it doesn't matter what time of year, he's always popular and definitely with the movie coming out, It is exceptionally popular right now," Robin from Attic Bookstore said.

It's a similar story at City Lights Book Store in the same southwestern Ontario city. There staff had to put a sticky note on their Stephen King shelf that reads: "Sorry, We are out of It."

City Lights owner TheresaTarasewicz saidstaff braced for the demand after the movie trailer came out in the spring.

"We knew that we were going to get asked for It and we were surprised by the volume of calls," she said. "He's always popular but whenever the movie comes out, people get interested in the novel."

City Lights staff have builta kind of shrine to the horror writer, who's churned out more than 50 books in his profilic career.

"We created a tower of Stephen King," saidTarasewicz. "Kind of a joke on his Dark Tower series. We took our tallest, most narrow book case and we keep it stocked with King all over the place, from the hardcovers to the original novels."

But it isn't just his horror and fantasy books fans are after.Tarasewiczsaid his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craftis also in constant demand.

She figures fans and aspiring writers are interested in any tips that might help them write a bestseller.

Public libraries also carry copies of the novel, as well as the 1990TV miniseries adaptation of It, which many libraries have in DVD form. It stars Tim Curry as Pennywise the terrifying clown.

CBC London was able to track down a used copy of It at Attic Books. Staff placed it in a display case facing DundasStreet. As of Friday afternoon. It was still there.

It probably won't last long but anyone who buys it will have to read quickly. King's original novel is 1,100 pages.

"It's a real brick of a book," saidTarasewicz.

But brick or not, she wishes she had a few copies in stock so she can sell more of It.

• Why are people so scared of clowns?