# Is "Angry Candy" by Harlan Ellison a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Angry Candy by Harlan Ellison (Houghton Mifflin, 1988) is identified by: Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1988: stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full number line running down to 1 (the presence of the "1" confirming first printing). The Houghton Mifflin trade hardcover is the standard first edition, but a signed Easton Press leather edition is reported to have been issued roughly a week earlier and thus technically precedes it; the Houghton Mifflin printing is the true first trade edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1988: stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full number line running down to 1 (the presence of the "1" confirming first printing)
- A collection of seventeen stories; the first-issue dust jacket carries its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Harlan Ellison |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1988: stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full number line running down to 1 (the presence of the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1988: stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full number line running down to 1 (the presence of the "1" confirming first printing). A collection of seventeen stories; the first-issue dust jacket carries its printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The Houghton Mifflin trade hardcover is the standard first edition, but a signed Easton Press leather edition is reported to have been issued roughly a week earlier and thus technically precedes it; the Houghton Mifflin printing is the true first trade edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition lacks the printed jacket price and shows a blind-stamp (dimple) on the rear board, and its number line will not run down to 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Angry Candy* by Harlan Ellison a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/angry-candy
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.