Question: The evil clown is an archetype and subversion of the traditional comic clown character, that is featured in the 22nd book and 18th novel written by what American author?
Related documents: [0]  [DOC] It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his 22nd book and 18th novel written under his own name. The story follows the experiences of seven children as they are terrorized by a being 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. [END] 
[1]  [DOC] The evil clown is a subversion of the traditional comic clown character, in which the playful trope is instead rendered as disturbing through the use of horror elements and dark humor. The modern archetype of the evil clown was popularized by Stephen King's 1986 novel "It". The character can be seen as playing off the sense of unease felt by sufferers of coulrophobia. [END] 
Answer: 
Stephen King
Stephen King