21 Bentley Little first editions are documented on this shelf, from The Revelation (1990) to The Consultant (2015) across 9 different publishers. Each linked guide gives the points of issue that separate a true first printing of that Bentley Little title from later printings and book-club copies — the publisher and year to expect, the number-line or edition-statement conventions, and the tells that show up in online listings.

Identification only, per the house rule: no prices and no appraisals here. Checking a Bentley Little copy in hand? Type the title into the First-Edition Checker or photograph the copyright page with Snap & Sort.

The Revelation — 1990 · St. Martin's PressSt. Martin's Press US hardcover first edition in dust jacket, 1990, with a complete descending number line to 1 and no statement of later printing. Little's first novel; winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. The US St. Martin's Press hardcover is the true first and the scarcest of Little's firsts. Book club editions exist and are distinguished by a blind-stamp to the rear board and the absence of a price on the jacket flap; these are not the true first.
The Mailman — 1991 · OnyxOnyx (Signet/NAL) mass-market paperback original, published February 1991, with a full Onyx/Signet number line on the copyright page. This paperback is the first trade edition and the earliest form in which the novel reached retail readers; the wrappers carry a printed cover price, which should be present rather than obscured. The US Onyx paperback original is the first edition available at retail; the novel was published directly into paperback rather than preceded by any trade hardcover. Cemetery Dance later issued a first-thus hardcover reprint decades afterward. A 1991 hardcover exists but is an Onyx book-club exclusive, not the true first; as a book-club printing it carries no printed price on the jacket. The retail paperback original precedes it as the collectible first.
Death Instinct — 1992 · SignetSignet mass-market paperback original, 1992, first published under the Phillip Emmons pseudonym (ISBN 0-451-17284-1), with a number line on the copyright page. Issued only in paperback with a single printing and no hardcover, so the 1992 Signet paperback is the original form of the book. Paperback original issued under the Phillip Emmons pseudonym; this is the same book as the Phillip Emmons entry and should be deduplicated downstream. The single 1992 Signet paperback printing is the true first. The UK edition, retitled Evil Deeds (1994), appeared under Little's real name and followed the US original. N/A (paperback original); no book-club issue exists.
The Summoning — 1993 · ZebraZebra (Kensington) mass-market paperback original, 1993, in printed wrappers with a full number line on the copyright page. First US edition. A UK Headline hardcover also appeared in 1993; precedence between the US Zebra paperback and the UK Headline hardcover is not firmly established, so the US paperback should be described as the first US edition rather than the unqualified true first. A 1993 hardcover book-club edition, issued as a Signet horror book-club printing, also exists; it is a later book-club printing (with the usual book-club binding tells), not the first.
University — 1995 · SignetSignet mass-market paperback original (ISBN 0451183908), April 1995. First printing states the printing on the copyright page (Signet/NAL 'First Printing' statement with a descending number line ending in 1). US paperback original is the true first trade edition. A Signet book-club hardcover in dust jacket also exists from 1995; as a book-club edition it is not the true first. Cemetery Dance later issued a signed limited hardcover (first thus). Book-club hardcover exists; distinguish it from the mass-market PBO, which is the collectible first.
Dominion — 1996 · SignetSignet (New American Library) mass-market paperback original, ISBN 0451187482, published early 1996. The first printing states 'First Printing, [month], 1996' on the copyright page above a full descending number line ending in 1, per the standard Signet convention. The first-issue wraps carry the tagline 'A new dominion has risen' with the pictorial horror cover art; the printed cover price should be present at…. US paperback original; the Signet PBO is the true first, issued simultaneously with no hardcover precedent. N/A (paperback original); no book-club edition.
The Ignored — 1997 · SignetSignet (New American Library) mass-market paperback original, ISBN 0451192583. The first printing states on the copyright page 'First Printing, June, 1997' above a full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ending in 1, in pictorial wrappers. The US Signet paperback original of June 1997 is the true first. Cemetery Dance issued a later hardcover edition (2017), a first-thus, not the true first. N/A (paperback original); no book-club edition.
The House — 1999 · SignetSignet mass-market paperback original (ISBN 0451192249), April 1999. First printing carries the Signet/NAL 'First Printing' statement on the copyright page with a descending number line ending in 1. US paperback original; Signet PBO is the true first. A book-club hardcover (ISBN 073940251X) also exists and is not the true first. Book-club hardcover exists; the mass-market PBO is the collectible first.
The Walking — 2000 · SignetSignet mass-market paperback original (ISBN 0451201744), November 2000. First printing carries the Signet/NAL 'First Printing' statement on the copyright page with a descending number line ending in 1. US paperback original; Signet PBO is the true first. A book-club hardcover (ISBN 073941304X) also exists and is not the true first. Book-club hardcover exists; the mass-market PBO is the collectible first.
The Association — 2001 · SignetSignet mass-market paperback original (ISBN 0451204123), September 2001. First printing carries the Signet/NAL 'First Printing' statement on the copyright page with a descending number line ending in 1. US paperback original; Signet PBO is the true first. A book-club hardcover (ISBN 0739420909) also exists and is not the true first. Book-club hardcover exists; the mass-market PBO is the collectible first.
The Return — 2002 · SignetSignet mass-market paperback original, September 2002 (ISBN 0-451-20687-8). Descending number line on the copyright page for the first printing. US paperback original; no prior trade edition. The Signet paperback is the true first edition. A large-print/book-club hardcover (Doubleday Direct/GK Hall, ISBN 073942739x) appeared but is a book-club/library edition, not the true first.
The Policy — 2003 · SignetSignet mass-market paperback original, September 2003 (ISBN 0-451-20954-2). Descending number line on the copyright page for the first printing. US paperback original; no prior trade edition. The Signet paperback is the true first edition. A large-print/book-club hardcover (ISBN 073943711x) exists but is a book-club/library edition, not the true first.
The Resort — 2004 · SignetSignet (New American Library) mass-market paperback original, September 7, 2004, ISBN 0-451-21280-0 (978-0-451-21280-1). A full descending number line on the copyright page identifies the first printing. US paperback original with no prior trade edition; the Signet paperback is the true first edition. A hardcover of the title exists only as a book-club/library binding. The hardcover (ISBN 0-7394-4569-3) is a book-club/library edition, not the true first; it lacks the Signet publisher line and the paperback's number line.
Dispatch — 2005 · SignetSignet mass-market paperback original, first printing October 4, 2005 (ISBN 0-451-21677-6, ISBN-13 978-0-451-21677-9). Full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page identifies the first printing; the printed cover price appears on the top front cover. US paperback original; there was no prior trade edition, so the Signet mass-market paperback is the true first edition. Two later hardcover states exist and are not the true first: a large-print / library hardcover (ISBN 0-7394-6047-4) and a Cemetery Dance Publications signed limited-edition hardcover published September 18, 2017 (ISBN 1-58767-470-X). Both postdate the 2005 Signet paperback.
The Burning — 2006 · SignetSignet mass-market paperback original, published August 2006 (ISBN 0-451-21914-7, ISBN-13 978-0-451-21914-5). The first printing is identified by a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. No prior trade hardcover was issued by the publisher. US paperback original; no prior trade edition. The Signet paperback is the true first edition. A large-print/book-club hardcover (ISBN 0739473352, also seen as 978-0-7394-7335-1) exists but is a book-club/library edition, not the true first.
The Vanishing — 2007 · SignetSignet mass-market paperback original, August 7, 2007 (ISBN 0-451-22185-0). Descending number line on the copyright page for the first printing. US paperback original; no prior trade edition. The Signet paperback is the true first edition. A large-print/book-club hardcover (ISBN 073948575x) exists but is a book-club/library edition, not the true first.
The Academy — 2008 · SignetSignet (New American Library) mass-market paperback original, ISBN 0451224675, published August 2008. A first printing carries the Signet/NAL statement 'First Printing, August, 2008' with the full descending number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page; a leading 1 in that line is the first-printing tell. The Signet mass-market paperback original is the true US first; there is no trade hardcover first. A hardcover book-club edition (ISBN 0739499793) also carries a 2008 date but lacks the Signet 'First Printing' statement and complete number line, so verify the paperback by its full descending line beginning with 1. A hardcover book-club edition (ISBN 0739499793) exists and should not be mistaken for the first; the Signet paperback original is the true first.
His Father's Son — 2009 · SignetSignet (New American Library) mass-market paperback original, ISBN 0451227778, with the full descending number line on the copyright page; first printing dated 2009. The US Signet paperback original is the true first. There is no trade hardcover first; verify the paperback by its complete number line. A large-print hardcover reprint exists (Center Point, ISBN 9781615235537) and is not the first edition; it lacks the Signet number line.
The Haunted — 2012 · SignetSignet mass-market paperback original with the full descending number line on the copyright page; first printing dated April 2012. US Signet paperback original is the true first. A UK A-format paperback also exists but does not precede the US Signet printing. Not applicable; paperback original.
The Influence — 2013 · Cemetery DanceCemetery Dance first edition, 2013: signed and numbered hardcover limited to 750 copies plus a trade hardcover, with two distinct dust-jacket artworks (one for the limited, one for the trade). World's first publication and Bentley Little's first trade hardcover. Cemetery Dance is the true first; world's first publication of the title. Not applicable.
The Consultant — 2015 · Cemetery DanceCemetery Dance first edition, 2015: signed and numbered hardcover limited to 750 copies, a deluxe hand-lettered leather-bound edition of 52, plus a trade hardcover. World's first publication of the novel. Cemetery Dance is the true first; this was the world's first publication of the title. Not applicable.

More Fantasy & Horror shelves: Bram Stoker, Brandon Sanderson, Carl Laymon (Richard Laymon), Clive Barker, C.S. Lewis, Dan Simmons.

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