Stephen King First Editions

• Carrie — 1974 · DoubledayFirst printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page — the primary criterion — and carries the Doubleday gutter code 'P6' at the foot of the gutter on page 199, the last page of text ('P' = 1974, '6' = the sixth week). Bound in maroon cloth, the spine lettered in gilt; dust jacket illustrated by Alex Gotfryd. The first-issue jacket has the printed price present at the front flap, unclipped. (Advance/proof…. US Doubleday (1974) is the true first — King's first novel, published April 5, 1974 in a reported print run of about 30,000 copies. The first British edition (New English Library, London, 1974, purple cloth, gilt-lettered spine, very scarce) followed and does not precede it; the US Doubleday is the true first. First state is established by the 'First Edition' statement plus the single-letter P6 code on page 199…. Book-club editions are the common trap. They do NOT state 'First Edition' on the copyright page; they bear a blind-stamp (a small square or 'gull' indentation) on the rear board, use cheaper boards and paper, run smaller and lighter, and the jacket carries no printed price (a code appears instead). Important correction to a widespread method: a gutter code is NOT proof of a trade first — Doubleday stamped gutter….
• Salem's Lot — 1975 · DoubledayFirst printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carries the Doubleday gutter code 'Q37' on page 439 ('Q' = 1975, '37' = the 37th week). Three dust-jacket states exist; the book block is identical in all three, only the jacket changes. First state: the front-flap blurb reads 'Father Cody' (an error — the priest is Father Callahan; Jimmy Cody is the doctor), with the original, higher price unclipped…. US Doubleday (1975) is the true first (first American printing about 20,000 copies). King's manuscript title 'Jerusalem's Lot' was shortened by the publisher to 'Salem's Lot.' The first British edition (New English Library, London, 1976, black cloth, (viii)+439 pp, well under 1,000 copies) followed and does not precede it; the US Doubleday is the true first. First state is fixed by the 'First Edition' statement,…. Book-club editions do NOT state 'First Edition,' carry a rear-board blind-stamp, use cheaper boards and paper, run smaller, and have no printed price on the jacket. Correction to a common misstatement: a gutter code is NOT itself proof of a trade first — Doubleday used gutter codes on book-club printings as well (often a double-letter code). Distinguish the trade first by the 'First Edition' statement on the….
• The Shining — 1977 · Doubleday'First Edition' stated on the copyright page AND the gutter code 'R49' on the bottom inside corner of page 447. Dust jacket with its printed price. First-issue jacket carries the printed price; the rear panel/flap reflects 1977 King titles only. US Doubleday 1977 true first (~25,000 copies). UK New English Library (1977) is first British. The decisive trade-first point is the 'R49' gutter code combined with the stated 'First Edition' and the printed price jacket. Book-club editions lack the 'R49' gutter code, have the blind-stamp/indentation on the rear board, and the jacket has no printed price. No gutter code = book club, regardless of any 'First Edition' wording.
• Night Shift — 1978 · DoubledayTrue first states "First Edition" on the copyright page and carries the gutter code S52 (lower margin, near the end of the text block). The S52 code reflects Doubleday's year/week printing scheme. Introduction by John D. MacDonald. The US Doubleday is the true first of King's first story collection; the UK Macdonald is the UK first. The book-club edition has a blind-stamped gutter code (small dot or circle) on the lower rear board, lacks the "First Edition" statement, and has an unpriced jacket. Doubleday book-club copies are the classic trap here.
• The Stand — 1978 · Doubleday'First Edition' stated on copyright page with Doubleday gutter code 'T39' on the last text page. Dust jacket with its printed price. This is the original (abridged) text; first-issue jacket has the printed price. US Doubleday 1978 true first of the original text. The 'Complete & Uncut Edition' (Doubleday, 1990) is a textually expanded, separate edition — not a reprint of the 1978 text — with its own first-edition points. Collectors distinguish the 1978 abridged first from the 1990 uncut. Book-club 1978 copies lack the 'T39' gutter code and the jacket price, with rear-board blind-stamp. Gutter code present = trade first.
• The Dead Zone — 1979 · VikingThe copyright page states 'First published in 1979 by The Viking Press' with no number line present; a first printing carries this statement alone, whereas later printings of the first edition add a descending number line (a line ending in 3 indicates a third printing). The front dust-jacket flap bears the printer/issue code (reported as 0879) and the printed price should be present and unclipped. The binding is…. The US Viking edition is the true first. The UK Macdonald edition (1979/1980) is the UK first. The book-club edition has a blind-stamped gutter code on the rear board, is physically smaller and lighter than the trade first, and its jacket carries no printed price and lacks the flap issue code. Because the copyright statement itself is identical, rely on the rear-board club code, the jacket price/flap code, and the book's size and weight.
• Firestarter — 1980 · VikingTrade first states "First published in 1980 by The Viking Press" on the copyright page with no number line, and has a priced jacket. The deluxe true first is the Phantasia Press signed/limited (Huntington Woods, Michigan, 1980): 725 numbered copies in dust jacket and slipcase, plus 26 lettered copies (A-Z) bound in aluminum-coated cloth, the latter nicknamed the "asbestos" Firestarter. Both Phantasia issues are…. The Viking trade edition is treated as the true first trade edition; the Phantasia Press signed/limited appeared the same year and is the prized signed issue. The 26 lettered copies, not the 725 numbered, carry the special aluminum-coated binding. The Doubleday/book-club edition shows a gutter-code blind stamp on a rear board, is smaller, and has an unpriced jacket. Do not confuse the BCE with the Phantasia limited, which is numbered or lettered, signed, and slipcased.
• Cujo — 1981 · VikingCopyright page reads 'First published in 1981 by The Viking Press' with no number line; dust jacket carries the printed price. Bound in black quarter cloth over textured brown boards with 'SK' stamped on the front. The US Viking edition is the true first; the dedication reads 'This book is for my brother, David.' The UK Macdonald edition (1982) is the UK first. The book-club edition has a blind-stamped gutter code on the rear board, is slightly smaller and lighter, and the jacket lacks a printed price. The shared publisher address misleads novices.
• Danse Macabre — 1981 · Everest HouseEverest House first printing is identified by the code RRD281 on the copyright page; there is no number line. Original priced dust jacket. King's non-fiction survey of the horror genre. A signed limited edition of 250 numbered copies plus 15 lettered copies, issued in a slipcase without dust jacket, was published alongside the trade edition. US Everest House edition is the true first; the UK Macdonald edition follows. The 250-copy signed limited is the collectible signed issue. Book club edition identifiable by club markings and lack of the RRD281 first-printing code.
• Creepshow — 1982 · New American Library / Plume, New YorkThe first edition is the oversize Plume (New American Library) softcover graphic album of July 1982 — approximately 8.5 x 10.5 in., 64 pp. in full colour, ISBN 0-452-25380-2 — with interior art by Bernie Wrightson, colour by Michele Wrightson, and the cover by Jack Kamen. The first printing carries 'First Printing, July, 1982' on the copyright page above a complete number line; later printings drop that statement…. The US Plume/NAL softcover of July 1982 is the true first; no British first-edition claim competes with it, and the later Gallery Books reissue (ISBN 978-1-5011-6322-7) is a reprint. Correcting the census note: 'no hardcover' overstates the case — a scarce oversize hardcover issue bearing the same first-printing points is reported by dealers and collector references for 1982. That hardcover is uncommon and thinly…. The book-club edition is well documented and easy to spot: it is marked 'BOOK CLUB EDITION 5200' at the lower left of the back cover, carries no price on the back cover or spine, and lacks the 'First Printing, July, 1982' statement on the copyright page — while retaining a complete number line, which is why the number line alone must never be used to call a first. Later trade printings are the other trap: same….
• Different Seasons — 1982 · VikingCopyright page states 'First published in 1982 by The Viking Press' with NO number line. Bound in quarter blue cloth over two-toned blue paper boards (the true first has differently colored front boards). Dust jacket carries the printed price and should not be price-clipped. The US Viking edition is the true first; the four novellas include 'Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption' and 'The Body.' The UK Macdonald edition is later. The book-club edition shares the Viking copyright wording, so the boards and jacket are the tell: BCE has a blind-stamped gutter code on the rear board, smaller and lighter trim, and a jacket with no printed price (or a clipped flap). Beware clipped BCE jackets sold as firsts.
• The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger — 1982 · Donald M. GrantGrant first edition, first printing: 10,000 trade copies plus 500 signed and numbered slipcased copies. Illustrated by Michael Whelan. Copyright page states First Edition with no later-printing notice; the 1984 second printing (also 10,000 copies) is identified as such on the copyright page. The Grant edition is the true first; no prior trade publication. The 500-copy signed and numbered issue is the signed limited first. The NAL/Plume trade reprint followed in 1988. Not applicable; the later NAL/Plume trade is a reprint, not a club edition.
• The Drawing of the Three / The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I) — 1982 · Donald M. Grant'The Gunslinger' true first is the Donald M. Grant trade edition, 1982, illustrated by Michael Whelan, limited to 10,000 copies (plus a 500-copy signed/numbered state). Limitation page; first state has no later-printing statement. Issued in slipcase for the signed state. Grant 1982 is the true first (King self-distributed; not in general trade until the 1988 Plume paperback). The signed/numbered 500-copy state is the premium first; the 10,000-copy trade Grant is also a first. The 1988 NAL/Plume edition is the first widely available edition, not the first. Any mass-market paperback (Plume/NAL 1988 onward) is a later edition. The Grant first is identified by the Whelan illustrations, the limitation page, and the West Kingston imprint.
• The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I) — 1982 · Donald M. GrantDonald M. Grant, Publisher (West Kingston, Rhode Island), 1982; illustrated by Michael Whelan in color and black-and-white. Two issues: a trade issue of 10,000 copies in brown cloth boards lettered in gilt, in a pictorial Whelan dust jacket; and a signed limited issue of 500 copies, signed by King and Whelan and numbered on the limitation page, housed in a slipcase. The first printing states 'First Edition' and…. The Donald M. Grant edition (1982) is the true first. There was no mass-market first: the Plume/NAL trade paperback did not appear until 1988, and the 2003 Viking edition carries King's revised text — neither is a first. The 500-copy signed and numbered slipcased issue is the scarcest state; the 10,000-copy trade is the common first. There is no book-club edition of the Grant first. The trap is later Grant states offered as firsts: Grant reprinted the title (a 1984 second printing of about 10,000 copies, and an 11,000-copy third printing as part of a 1998 boxed set). The first printing is fixed by 'First Edition' / 'First Printing May 1982' on the copyright page; later Grant printings drop the 'First Edition' statement or add a later-printing….
• Christine — 1983 · VikingThe copyright page states 'First published in 1983 by The Viking Press' with no number line. The dust jacket must retain its printed price at the top corner of the front flap (the jacket price is essentially the sole discriminator from the book-club jacket, so a price-clipped jacket cannot be confirmed as the trade first). The trade first printing carries no printer's gutter code within the text block. The US Viking trade edition is the true first. A Donald M. Grant edition (1983), limited to 1,000 numbered copies signed by Stephen King and illustrator Stephen Gervais, exists as the deluxe illustrated state. The UK Hodder & Stoughton edition is the UK first. The book-club edition is identified by a small blind-stamped code (dot, circle, or square) on the lower rear board, a smaller trim, thinner/lighter paper, and a printer's gutter code near the back of the text block — none of which appear in the trade first. Distinguish from the Grant limited, which is numbered, signed, slipcased, and illustrated.
• Cycle of the Werewolf — 1983 · Land of EnchantmentLand of Enchantment (Westland, Michigan), 1983, with twelve Berni Wrightson color plates (plus black-and-white illustrations), issued in three states: a signed, numbered, slipcased limited totaling 350 copies signed by King and Wrightson — 100 'Collector' copies (numbered 1-100), each with an original Wrightson drawing laid in, and 250 'Deluxe' copies (numbered 101-350), each accompanied by a Wrightson portfolio;…. The 1983 Land of Enchantment edition is the true first. The signed and numbered limited (100 Collector + 250 Deluxe = 350) is the scarcest state, with the unsigned 7,500-copy trade hardcover issued alongside as the common first. The 1985 Signet/NAL paperback — and the related 'Silver Bullet' film tie-in edition — is a later, lesser issue, not a first. There is no standard book-club edition. The common trap is the 1985 Signet paperback (movie-tie-in era): do not take it for the 1983 Land of Enchantment first. Signed states must bear BOTH King's and Wrightson's signatures on the numbered limitation page; the trade issue is unsigned. Note that 'Land of Enchantment' is New Mexico's nickname but the imprint operated out of Westland, Michigan — the publisher name is….
• Pet Sematary — 1983 · Doubleday'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Doubleday gutter code 'Q35' (final text page). Dust jacket with its printed price. First state has the gutter code, stated First Edition, and original jacket price. US Doubleday 1983 true first. UK Hodder & Stoughton (1983) first British. The decisive trade-first point is the 'Q35' gutter code with stated First Edition. Book-club lacks the gutter code, has the rear-board blind-stamp, and no jacket price. Gutter code present = trade first.
• The Eyes of the Dragon — 1984 · Philtrum PressTrue first is the Philtrum Press limited (Bangor, fall 1984), illustrated by Kenneth R. Linkhauser: 1,250 oversize copies, all in a matching slipcase. Of these, 1,000 copies were for sale and numbered in black ink (1-1000), and 250 copies were reserved for private distribution and numbered in red ink (1-250). Sold only by mail. Philtrum Press 1984 limited is the true first; the Viking 1987 trade edition is the first trade edition (separate points: number line, the printed price jacket). Collectors distinguish the scarce signed Philtrum limited from the common Viking trade. Any trade hardcover is the Viking 1987 (or later); BCE Viking copies lack the jacket price and have the rear-board blind-stamp. The Philtrum is identifiable by its limitation/numbering page.
• Thinner — 1984 · NAL BooksTrue first is the NAL hardcover, jacketed and bylined Richard Bachman, with the copyright page stating First Printing, November, 1984 and a number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, the printed jacket price present. Black quarter cloth over red boards with red-stamped spine. Published before the Bachman-equals-King identity was made public in early 1985. The rear-flap author photo, credited to Claudia Bachman, is…. The first state is the pre-revelation Bachman-bylined NAL hardcover. Thinner was the only original Bachman title first issued in hardcover; the earlier Bachman novels were paperback originals. Later printings and editions add the Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman tie-in wording and are not the first; a book club issue lacks the jacket price.
• Skeleton Crew — 1985 · G.P. Putnam's SonsPutnam trade first (June 1985) states "First Edition" on the copyright page with no further number line. The deluxe issue is the Scream/Press signed/limited (October 1985): 1,000 copies, illustrated by J.K. Potter, signed by both King and Potter on a dedication page, with a fold-out color poster laid in and a matching slipcase. The Scream/Press edition also adds the story "The Revelations of 'Becka Paulson.". The Putnam trade is the true first; the Scream/Press limited is the prized signed issue and contains an additional story not in the trade. The book-club edition carries the Putnam imprint but lacks the jacket price, has a rear-board gutter-code blind stamp, and lighter boards. The Scream/Press limited is signed, numbered, and slipcased.
• The Bachman Books: Four Early Novels — 1985 · New American Library, New YorkNew American Library, New York, October 1985. The first printing carries the copyright-page statement 'First (Omnibus) Printing, October, 1985' together with a complete number line in which 1 is present. NOTE a conflict in the record: dealers report the line variously as ascending '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9' and as a full descending line ending in 1, and one collector source renders the statement as 'First (Omnibus)…. US precedence: NAL New York, October 1985, issued in two simultaneous states — the NAL hardcover and a Plume large-format trade paperback (also stating a First (Omnibus) Printing of October 1985 with a full number line). Both are first-printing states of the true first edition, but the hardcover is by far the scarcer and is the collected state; the Plume trade paperback was issued in a much larger quantity. The…. A book-club edition was issued and is the commonest trap. Tells: gold/gilt spine lettering in place of the trade hardcover's yellow; a blind stamp (small embossed square) on the rear board; no price at the front jacket flap; and in some copies a 'Book Club Edition' or 'First Book Club Edition' designation on the flap. Book-club copies are also lighter and printed on thinner bulk. A price-clipped trade jacket can….
• It — 1986 · Viking'First Published in 1986' on the copyright page with the full number line '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 86 87 88 89' (Viking style). Dust jacket with its printed price. Issued by Viking (not Doubleday, so no gutter code). First state has the printed price and the complete number line beginning with 1. US Viking 1986 true first. UK Hodder & Stoughton (1986) is first British. Trade first identified by the number line including '1' and the year codes. BCE: smaller trim, no price on jacket, blind-stamp dot/indentation on rear board, cheaper boards. Book-of-the-Month copies lack the '1' in the number sequence and the printed jacket price.
• Misery — 1987 · Viking'First Published in 1987 by Viking Penguin' with the number line including 1. Dust jacket with its printed price. First state has the complete number line and the original jacket price; Viking imprint (no gutter code, post-Doubleday). US Viking 1987 true first. UK Hodder & Stoughton (1987) is first British. Trade first told by the number line to 1 and the printed price jacket. BCE: rear-board blind-stamp, no jacket price, smaller trim, cheaper boards; number line lacks 1. Printed jacket price + full number line = trade first.
• The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three — 1987 · Donald M. GrantGrant first edition; trade issue with stated First Edition on the copyright page, plus a signed limited issue of 800 numbered copies signed by King and illustrator Phil Hale, housed in a gray cloth slipcase. Illustrated throughout by Phil Hale. Grant edition is the true first; the signed and numbered issue is the collectible signed first. The NAL/Plume trade edition came later. Not applicable; the later trade is a reprint.
• The Fisherman of (Misery co-winner context) — Misery — 1987 · VikingThis is a duplicate placeholder of the primary Misery record and should be deduplicated downstream. For the underlying title: Viking hardcover, 1987; the first edition states First published in 1987 by Viking Penguin Inc. on the copyright page, with the jacket priced as issued. Co-winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel for 1987 with Robert McCammon's Swan Song. The US Viking 1987 hardcover is the true first. The garbled title field reflects that this row was injected only to flag the 1987 Stoker tie; it duplicates the main Misery entry and should be merged with it. The book-club edition is blind-stamped on the rear board, lacks a jacket price, and does not carry the Viking Penguin first-published statement. Confirm the copyright-page statement and the priced first-state jacket.
• The Tommyknockers — 1987 · G. P. Putnam's SonsTrue first is the Putnam trade hardcover with the printed jacket price present and a full number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (the numeral 1 present marks the first printing). Green cloth boards with King's embossed signature; two simultaneous jacket states exist with the author's name in red or in gold, neither having precedence. US Putnam, released 10 November 1987, is the true first. UK Hodder & Stoughton also published in 1987 but later than the US edition. Book club edition has no price on the front jacket flap and a small blind-stamp on the rear board; boards and overall production are lighter.
• The Dark Half — 1989 · VikingTrue first is the Viking trade hardcover with the printed jacket price present and a complete number line beginning with 1 on the copyright page. Black boards with gilt spine lettering and purple endpapers. US Viking, released 20 October 1989, is the true first. UK Hodder & Stoughton also published in 1989. Book club edition lacks the jacket price and carries the small blind-stamp on the rear board; it is physically smaller and lighter than the trade first.
• Four Past Midnight — 1990 · VikingViking trade first, September 1990: full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, original price intact on the jacket flap; first-state jacket has the author's name in gold. Collection of four novellas including The Langoliers and Secret Window, Secret Garden. US Viking edition is the true first; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition follows. Book club edition identifiable by blind stamp on rear board and unpriced jacket.
• The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition — 1990 · DoubledayDoubleday first trade edition, May 1990: copyright page states First Trade Edition with no number line (later printings carry number lines and printing statements). Restored text with new material and illustrations by Bernie Wrightson. A signed limited issue of 1,250 numbered copies plus 52 lettered copies, bound in leather and housed in a wooden coffin-style box, was signed by King and Wrightson. First edition thus of the expanded text of the 1978 novel; the signed and numbered coffin-box issue is the collectible signed issue. Book club edition identifiable by club markings and absence of the First Trade Edition statement.
• Needful Things — 1991 · VikingViking trade first edition, New York, 1991, 690 pages. First printing carries the 'First published in 1991 by Viking Penguin' statement together with the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page. Bound in black paper-covered boards with a quarter black cloth spine and orange stamping/illustration to the front board and spine; first-issue jacket retains its printed price on the front flap. The US Viking edition is the true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows the same year. Confirm both the 'First published in 1991' line and the 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 number line to distinguish the true first printing. Book-club copies carry BCE markings (a blind-stamped code to the rear board) and an unpriced jacket, and lack the Viking number line and 'First published in 1991' statement of the trade first.
• The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands — 1991 · Donald M. GrantGrant first edition, first printing; trade issue of about 40,000 copies plus a limited issue of 1,250 signed/numbered copies (signed by King and illustrator Ned Dameron on the limitation page) and 26 lettered copies, both slipcased. Illustrated with color plates by Ned Dameron. Grant true first; the signed/numbered issue is the collectible signed first. NAL/Plume trade paperback followed in 1992. N/A; later trade reprints exist but no standard book-club hardcover issue of the Grant edition.
• Gerald's Game — 1992 · VikingViking trade first, first printing: the copyright page reads "First published in 1992 by Viking Penguin" with the number line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2." Quarter-bound in black cloth with black boards, the title stamped in red on the spine and the author's initials in red on the front board, with black endpapers; octavo, 332 pages. The first-state jacket carries the printed price on the front flap and the code 0992…. US Viking true first, published May 1992; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. Book-club copies carry BCE markings, lack the Viking number line, and show no printed price on the jacket flap.
• Dolores Claiborne — 1993 · VikingViking trade first, first printing: the copyright page states first published in 1993 by Viking Penguin and carries the full number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. The book is bound in black paper over boards with a quarter black cloth spine and red lettering on the front and spine. First-state dust jacket bears the Rob Wood illustration of Dolores peering into a well beneath a solar eclipse, with the printed price…. US Viking true first; UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. Sometimes catalogued as 1992 because copies shipped in late 1992 and the copyright date is 1992, but the copyright page states first published in 1993. Book-club copies carry BCE markings and lack the printed jacket price.
• Nightmares & Dreamscapes — 1993 · VikingViking trade first, first printing: first-published statement and full number line including the 1 on the copyright page; jacket price 27.50 on the front flap; dark blue spine cloth. Story collection. US Viking true first; UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. Book-club copies carry BCE markings and no jacket price.
• Insomnia — 1994 · VikingViking first trade edition, first printing: copyright page states First published in 1994 by Viking Penguin with full number line including the 1; jacket price 27.95. The Mark V. Ziesing limited edition, illustrated by Phil Hale, appeared first: 1,250 leather-bound numbered copies signed by King, Hale, and designer Arnie Fenner, 52 lettered copies, and an unsigned slipcased gift issue of 3,750. The Ziesing limited edition preceded the Viking trade release by several months, so it is the true first; the Viking is the first trade edition and the standard collected form. Book-club copies of the Viking edition carry BCE markings and no jacket price.
• Rose Madder — 1995 · VikingViking trade hardcover first, bound in black boards with a black cloth spine, red foil decoration to the front board and red spine lettering. The copyright page carries the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 and states 'First published in 1995 by Viking Penguin.' Issued in the original dust jacket, which should retain its printed price with the 0795 date code on the front flap. ISBN 0670858692. US Viking is the true first (June 1995); the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. Book-club editions lack the printed price and date code on the jacket flap and are typically noticeably lighter and smaller than the Viking trade first, often without the full number line.
• Desperation — 1996 · VikingViking trade first, with a complete number line present on the copyright page and the printed price present on the front jacket flap. The binding is teal paper-covered boards with a tan cloth spine, King's initials (SK) blind-stamped into the front board and the spine lettered in metallic red; the trade first has vivid red endpapers. First-state jackets are coded 0996 on the flap. Issued as a deliberate companion…. US Viking is the true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. The Book-of-the-Month Club edition lacks the number line and prints no price on the jacket flap, and has plain white endpapers where the trade first's are vivid red; it is also typically slightly smaller and on lighter boards.
• The Green Mile — 1996 · SignetOriginally issued in 1996 as six serialized Signet mass-market paperback originals released about a month apart: 'The Two Dead Girls' (March 1996), 'The Mouse on the Mile,' 'Coffey's Hands,' 'The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix,' 'Night Journey,' and 'Coffey on the Mile' (August 1996). Each first printing carries a full number line beginning at 1; each is a paperback original priced at its printed cover price. The true first is the set of six 1996 Signet paperback originals, not any one-volume hardcover. The later single-volume collected edition is a first thus. A complete first set requires all six parts in first printing. Later printings of any installment show a number line that no longer begins at 1. One-volume collected hardcovers, including book-club issues, are not the first. Match each of the six parts to its first printing.
• The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass — 1997 · Donald M. GrantGrant first edition, stated First Edition on the copyright page; one-volume trade hardcover plus a two-volume slipcased limited of 1,250 copies numbered and signed by King and artist Dave McKean. Illustrated by Dave McKean. Grant true first; the signed/numbered slipcased set is the collectible signed first. Plume oversize trade paperback follows. N/A; later trade reprint.
• Bag of Bones — 1998 · ScribnerCopyright page states 'First Scribner edition 1998' with a full number line ending in 1 (1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2); 529 pages. Bound in orange paper-covered boards with a quarter cream cloth spine lettered in gilt. First-state dust jacket by John Fontana shows the profile of a screaming woman with a lakeside cabin in the background, repeats the cabin-and-lake vignette on the rear panel, and carries the author…. The US Scribner 1998 edition is the true first. The UK Hodder and Stoughton 1998 edition is a separate edition, and the signed limited editions issued separately are distinct collectible states. The book-club edition is smaller and lighter, blind-stamped on the rear board, with a jacket bearing no printed price, and it lacks the full number line ending in 1. The price-present unclipped jacket together with the 1 in the number line confirms the trade first.
• Hearts in Atlantis — 1999 · ScribnerFirst Scribner edition, first printing, identified by the full number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page. Bound in quarter black paper over blue paper boards, with red lettering and a red peace-sign device stamped on the spine; 525 pages. The pictorial collage dust jacket (design credited to Phil Heffernan) is unclipped, with the printed price present on the front flap. US Scribner is the true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. The book-club edition lacks the number line, carries no printed jacket price, and is typically smaller and lighter than the trade first.
• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon — 1999 · ScribnerFirst Scribner edition (published April 6, 1999), a slim novel of about 224 pages. The first printing is identified by the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page together with the words First Edition. Quarter-bound in amber cloth with black cloth boards and a gilt wasp (hornet) device stamped to the front board; the dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap. US Scribner true first (1999); the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. Book-club editions lack the Scribner number line, carry a blind-stamp to the rear board, and have no printed jacket price; they are not the true first.
• On Writing — 2000 · ScribnerFirst Scribner edition of King's 2000 memoir/craft book, identified by the stated "First Scribner Edition" on the copyright page with the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 (numeral 1 present for a first printing). The first-state dust jacket should retain its printed cover price on the front flap (unclipped). US Scribner is the true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. A true first shows the "First Scribner Edition" line together with the full number line ending in 1. Book-club and later trade printings lack the complete number line down to 1; club copies are lighter, often lack the printed jacket price, and may carry a rear-board blind stamp.
• Dreamcatcher — 2001 · ScribnerFirst Scribner edition (ISBN 0-7432-1138-3), with the word 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page above the full first-printing number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 (the '1' must be present). The trade first is quarter-bound with a purple/lilac paper spine lettered in silver over blue paper-covered boards, with a small flame device at the base of the spine. First-state pictorial dust jacket shows the…. The US Scribner trade hardcover (March 2001) is the true first edition, first printing; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. The book club edition lacks the 'First Edition' statement and the full number line and carries no printed jacket price. Note also a distinct Advance Reading Copy exists with a darker purple spine and darker blue boards than the lighter-toned regular first issue.
• Everything's Eventual — 2002 · ScribnerFirst Scribner edition of King's 2002 story collection, identified by the stated line "First Scribner hardcover edition" on the copyright page together with the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 (lowest numeral 1 present for a first printing). Binding is blue-gray quarter cloth over gray boards with bright silver title stamping on the spine and plain white endpapers; 459 pages. The pictorial first-state…. US Scribner and UK Hodder & Stoughton editions were published simultaneously in March 2002; the Scribner issue is the standard collected first and is distinguished by the "First Scribner hardcover edition" statement with the full number line ending in 1. Book-club and later Scribner printings lack the complete descending-to-1 number line and the "First Scribner hardcover edition" statement; club copies are typically smaller, lighter, and often bear a blind stamp to the rear board.
• From a Buick 8 — 2002 · ScribnerFirst US edition from Scribner (New York, 2002), identified by the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page. Bound in quarter cloth over paper-covered boards with a contrasting spine stamped in silver; jacket and interior designed by John Fulbrook III, text set in Garamond No. 3, 356 pages. The first-issue pictorial dust jacket should retain its printed price to the upper front flap, unclipped. The UK Hodder & Stoughton edition (August 28, 2002) preceded the US Scribner edition (September 24, 2002) by nearly a month, so the Hodder issue is the true world first; the Scribner printing is the first US edition, distinguished by its full number line ending in 2. Book-club editions exist and are the commonly encountered non-first; they lack the true first-printing number line (with its terminal 2) and are typically printed on lighter bulk with a blind-stamp to the rear board. Confirm the Scribner imprint and the complete number line.
• The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla — 2003 · Donald M. GrantDonald M. Grant first edition, illustrated by Bernie Wrightson. Grant issued an artist edition of 3,500 copies signed by Wrightson and a numbered edition of 1,350 copies signed by King and Wrightson; the trade hardcover, published by Grant in association with Scribner, shows the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. The Grant limited issues appeared about two weeks before the trade editions of November 4, 2003, making Grant the true first; the signed and numbered Grant edition is the collectible signed first. The trade hardcover carries a joint Grant and Scribner imprint rather than being a later separate Scribner edition. Not applicable to the Grant limited issues; trade copies must show the complete number line, and book club or later printings lack it.
• The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah — 2004 · Donald M. GrantDonald M. Grant first edition, published at Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, in 2004, illustrated with full-color plates by Darrel Anderson and bound in cloth over boards with sewn binding. Issued in three forms: an unsigned trade edition; a limited edition of 1,400 signed and numbered copies in slipcase, signed on the limitation page by both Stephen King and Darrel Anderson; and a larger artist edition signed by…. The Grant edition is the true first; the 1,400-copy signed/numbered issue, signed by King and Anderson, is the collectible signed first. All Grant issues precede the Scribner trade hardcover. N/A; no book-club edition. Later widely available copies are the Scribner trade reprint.
• The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower — 2004 · Donald M. GrantGrant first edition; trade edition plus a 1,500-copy signed/numbered two-volume slipcased set (signed by King and Michael Whelan) and a 5,000-copy artist edition signed by Whelan. Illustrated by Michael Whelan. Grant true first; the signed/numbered set is the collectible signed first. Grant limited and artist editions preceded the trade edition. N/A; later trade reprint.
• The Colorado Kid — 2005 · Hard Case CrimeThe first edition is the Hard Case Crime paperback original, HCC-013, published by Dorchester Publishing in October 2005 in illustrated wraps (12mo), with cover art by Glen Orbik and the banner 'First Publication Anywhere' on the front cover. The single documented first-printing point is the code 50599 printed above the UPC block on the back cover — first printings show three sets of UPC numbers with 50599…. The US Dorchester / Hard Case Crime 2005 paperback is the true first edition anywhere — the cover statement is accurate and there is no competing UK or hardcover first at original publication. The first hardcover is PS Publishing (Hornsea, UK), July 2007, illustrated by Glenn Chadbourne, issued in four states: an unsigned hardback of 10,000 copies, an artist edition of 1,000 signed and numbered by the…. No book-club edition is documented. The earliest recorded state of the material is a set of pre-publication 3x5 promotional cards mailed before release, bearing the same front and rear cover graphics as the book — a promotional item, not an edition. Reprint traps: later Dorchester printings identical but for the UPC-area code, and the later Titan/Hard Case Crime reissue (013-I, ISBN 978-1-78909-155-7) with new….
• Cell — 2006 · ScribnerFirst Scribner edition, first printing identified by the full number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page. Bound in black quarter-cloth over red boards with silver spine lettering; the priced dust jacket carries illustration by Mark Stutzman, design by John Fulbrook III, and author photograph by Amy Guip, with the printed price present on the front flap. The volume closes with a facsimile excerpt in…. US Scribner true first, 2006; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. Book club copies lack the number line and the jacket price, are printed on lighter bulk paper, and often carry a blind stamp to the rear board.
• Lisey's Story — 2006 · ScribnerThe copyright page states 'First Scribner edition 2006' and carries the split number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2; the presence of the numeral 1 in that line marks the first printing (the 1 drops out on the second printing). Published October 24, 2006, running to 513 numbered pages under the Scribner colophon. The first-state dust jacket carries the printed cover price on the front flap. The US Scribner 2006 edition is the true first. The UK Hodder & Stoughton 2006 edition is a separate simultaneous edition. The book-club edition lacks the split Scribner number line with its numeral 1, typically shows a blind stamp to the rear board, and comes in a jacket with no printed price. Verify the numeral 1 in the number line and the priced front flap.
• Blaze — 2007 · Scribner, New YorkTwo points must both be present on the copyright page of the first printing: the statement "First Scribner hardcover edition June 2007" and the full number line "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10." The numeral 1 in that row is the operative point — its removal marks a second printing, so a row beginning at 2 or higher is a reprint regardless of the edition statement. Trim size of the trade issue is recorded as 5.7 x 8¾ x 1.1…. The census claim stands: the true first is Scribner, New York, June 12, 2007, and the UK first is Hodder & Stoughton, London, 2007, announced for the same day — a genuine simultaneous or near-simultaneous release. Both are collected, and neither displaces the other on date; US Scribner is conventionally taken as the first, with the Hodder treated as the first UK edition. Note the deeper "first thus" issue…. The tell recorded in the King identification bibliography is the jacket: book-club jackets carry no price inside the front flap, where trade jackets do, and later-printing trade jackets often carry a different price from the one recorded for the first. Club copies are also frequently smaller than the trade trim recorded above (5.7 x 8¾ x 1.1 inches), which is why trim is given in the bibliography at all. Be aware….
• Duma Key — 2008 · ScribnerCopyright page states 'First Scribner hardcover edition January 2008' with a full number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. Bound in quarter black paper over navy paper-covered boards. The first-state dust jacket carries foil/holographic lettering and the printed cover price on the front flap; the Scribner colophon is present. Note the price should be printed on an unclipped jacket, though price-clipping alone…. The US Scribner 2008 edition is the true first. The UK Hodder and Stoughton 2008 edition is a separate edition. The book-club edition lacks the full 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 number line and the printed jacket price, and is typically lighter with blindstamped-board tells. Confirm the full number line together with the priced, foil-lettered jacket.
• Just After Sunset — 2008 · ScribnerStated first Scribner hardcover edition, released November 11, 2008, with the copyright page carrying the 'First Scribner hardcover edition' statement and a full number line beginning with 1. King's fifth story collection, roughly 367 pages. The first-state dust jacket is the distinctive holographic wrap, with orange holographic titling on black wrapping to black titling over orange, and it carries the printed…. US Scribner is the true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. Book-club copies lack the number line and the printed jacket price, and are physically smaller than the trade first.
• Under the Dome — 2009 · ScribnerFirst Scribner edition, released 10 November 2009, identified by a full number line including the 1 on the copyright page and the words First Scribner Hardcover Edition. Trade binding is quarter black cloth over black paper-covered boards with silver spine lettering. The trade dust jacket is found with white spine/title lettering and, less commonly, dark gray lettering; the printed price should be present on the…. US Scribner true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. Book club copies lack the number line and the printed jacket price and are printed on lighter bulk with a smaller trim than the Scribner trade first.
• Full Dark, No Stars — 2010 · ScribnerFirst Scribner edition, first printing, with a full number line including the 1 on the copyright page and a copyright date of November 9, 2010. The binding is blue boards with a dark blue spine lettered in red. The first-issue dust jacket has a glossy gray background with the author's name in raised red and the title in raised silver, over a color photograph of a woman with her arms wrapped around herself; the…. The US Scribner hardcover of November 2010 is the true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows. Cemetery Dance issued signed limited, gift, and lettered editions shortly after the trade first. Book-club copies lack the number line and are printed without the jacket price on the flap.
• 11/22/63 — 2011 · ScribnerCopyright page states First Scribner hardcover edition November 2011 with a full number line ending in 1. Bound in red paper-covered boards with a black backstrip and gilt spine lettering. The first-issue dust jacket is designed as a faux newspaper front page, the front recounting the actual Kennedy assassination and the rear presenting the alternate-history account of a failed attempt Kennedy survives; the…. US Scribner is the collected true first; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition appeared essentially simultaneously. A separate Scribner signed limited edition of 1,000 copies, with a different jacket, exclusive chapter-heading photographs and an accompanying DVD, is a distinct issue and not the trade first. Book club editions lack the number line and the jacket flap price; jacket and boards are slightly smaller and thinner.
• The Wind Through the Keyhole — 2012 · Donald M. Grant / ScribnerDonald M. Grant editions published February 21, 2012 precede the trade: a signed and numbered limited of 800 copies in a traycase, and an Artist Edition of 5,000 copies signed by illustrator Jae Lee in a slipcase, both illustrated by Jae Lee. The Scribner trade first followed April 24, 2012 with a full number line. Dark Tower 4.5. The Grant editions are the true first; the Scribner trade is the first trade edition. N/A.
• Doctor Sleep — 2013 · ScribnerCopyright page states 'First Scribner hardcover edition September 2013' with a full number line including the 1 (the standard 1-through descending sequence). First-state dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap. Sequel to The Shining. US Scribner 2013 is the true first. UK Hodder & Stoughton 2013 is a separate edition. Various signed and limited states (such as the Subterranean issue) are separate collectibles. Book-club and later printings alter or drop the number line and lack the priced first-state jacket. Confirm the full number line including the 1 together with the priced jacket.
• Joyland — 2013 · Hard Case Crime / Titan Books, London and New YorkJoyland is a paperback original: the first edition is the Hard Case Crime softcover numbered HCC-112, published 4 June 2013 in the US and 7 June 2013 in the UK from the same Titan Books setting and the same ISBN (978-1-78116-264-4), with pulp-style cover art by Glen Orbik and the price printed on the wrapper (no dust jacket exists for this issue). Identify it by the HCC-112 designation and the Hard Case Crime…. There is no UK-versus-US precedence question: Hard Case Crime is an imprint of Titan Books (Titan Publishing Group Ltd, London), and one Titan setting served both markets within the same week, with the US on-sale date first. The paperback original is the first edition; the limited hardcover from Titan followed one week later, on 11 June 2013 — it is the first hardcover state, not a simultaneous issue as sometimes…. No book-club edition is documented. The reprint traps are later Hard Case Crime printings from the same setting (check the copyright page, since the cover is unchanged) and the 2021 Titan omnibus 'The Hard Case Crime Novels of Stephen King: Later / Joyland / The Colorado Kid', which is a first thus and not a first edition of Joyland.
• Mr. Mercedes — 2014 · ScribnerFirst printing has a full number line ending in 1 with 'First Scribner hardcover edition' stated, and the first-issue jacket shows the printed retail price. Won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2015. Cemetery Dance and other signed or limited states exist separately. The US Scribner edition (June 2014) is the conventionally collected true first for King; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition also appeared in 2014, and firm precedence between the two is not established. No book-club edition for the trade first; later printings advance the number line. Distinguish the trade first from signed or limited states.
• Revival — 2014 · ScribnerCopyright page states 'First Scribner hardcover edition November 2014' with a full number line running down to 1. Bound in black quarter cloth over navy boards with the title stamped in bright silver to the spine. The first-issue dust jacket is a dramatic wrap-around lightning-strike design by Tal Goretsky and carries the printed price on the front flap (present, not clipped, on a first-state copy; the amount is…. US Scribner is the collected true first; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition appeared essentially simultaneously. Book-club editions lack the number line and the flap price; look for the stated 'First Scribner hardcover edition November 2014,' the full number line to 1, and the black-quarter-cloth-over-navy-boards binding with silver spine.
• Finders Keepers — 2015 · ScribnerFirst Scribner hardcover edition, published June 2, 2015, the second novel in the Bill Hodges trilogy. The first printing carries Scribner's characteristic split number line on the copyright page, reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 (a full line that includes both the 1 and the 10), with the stated first edition present. Issued in publisher's boards with a dust jacket that should retain the printed price on the front…. The US Scribner edition is the collected true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition appeared essentially simultaneously in June 2015, so the Scribner printing is the one collectors treat as the first. Book club editions lack the copyright-page number line and carry no printed price on the jacket flap; they are typically lighter in weight with a blind-stamp gutter code and thinner boards than the Scribner trade first.
• End of Watch — 2016 · ScribnerFirst Scribner hardcover edition, stated 'First Scribner hardcover edition June 2016' on the copyright page and accompanied by the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. Bound in black boards with a deep red textured spine panel and silver spine stamping. First-state wrap-around dust jacket with the school of translucent blue fish (one in fuchsia) in red water, art by Jaya Miceli and Sam Weber, with the printed price…. US Scribner is the collected true first; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition appeared essentially simultaneously. Book club editions lack the number line, carry no printed flap price, and are typically thinner-boarded reprints of the Scribner text.
• The Outsider — 2018 · ScribnerCopyright page reads "First Scribner hardcover edition May 2018" with a full number line ending in 1, in the form 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2; the presence of the numeral 1 marks the first printing. Published May 22, 2018 (ISBN 978-1-5011-8098-9), quarter-bound in red cloth over black boards with gold spine lettering and the Scribner flame colophon at the foot of the spine. First-state dust jacket carries gold-foil…. US Scribner is the collected true first; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition appeared essentially simultaneously in 2018. Book club editions lack the number line, are typically blind-stamped to the rear board, and carry a dust jacket without the printed flap price.
• The Institute — 2019 · ScribnerThe copyright page states First Scribner hardcover edition September 2019 and carries a complete number line ending in 1. The binding is quarter-bound: a black cloth backstrip over midnight-blue boards, with copper foil lettering on the spine; the volume runs 561 pages. The Will Staehle dust jacket must retain its printed cover prices (US and Canada figures on the front flap), and a first-issue jacket is not…. The US Scribner and UK Hodder & Stoughton editions were published the same day, September 10, 2019; collectors treat the US Scribner hardcover as the true first. Copies without the 1 in the number line are later Scribner printings. Book club editions typically lack the number line and carry a jacket with no printed price, and are lighter in bulk than the trade first.
• Billy Summers — 2021 · ScribnerScribner, New York, 2021. The copyright page states 'First Scribner hardcover edition August 2021' accompanied by a complete number line including the 1. Bound in quarter black cloth over red paper-covered boards with gilt lettering to the spine; the first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap (present and unclipped on an original jacket). US Scribner and UK Hodder & Stoughton editions were published essentially simultaneously; collectors treat the US Scribner as the true first. Copies without the 1 in the number line are later printings; book club copies typically lack the number line and carry no printed price on the jacket.
• Later — 2021 · Titan Books / Hard Case Crime, London and New YorkThe true first is a paperback original, not a hardcover. The point recorded in the King identification bibliography is the copyright-page line "First Hard Case Crime edition: March 2021"; no number line is recorded for this title. Trim size of the first issue is given as 8.0 x 5.0 x 0.7 inches, ISBN 978-1-78909-649-1, Hard Case Crime series number HCC-147, with the original cover painting by Paul Mann and the…. The census claim is correct in substance and worth stating precisely, because the hardcover trap is severe. The paperback original was published March 2, 2021, simultaneously in the US and UK by Titan Books under its Hard Case Crime imprint — that PBO is the true first edition. The Hard Case Crime / Titan limited hardback followed on March 30, 2021, nearly four weeks later, in three states totaling 2,900 copies:…. No book-club edition is documented, and none would be expected for a paperback original. The tells to watch are instead reissue tells: the later Titan limited hardback states described above; the three-volume Stephen King Hard Case Crime box set, which contains a reprint of Later rather than the first issue; and later Hard Case Crime paperback printings, which are the most common misattribution — any copy lacking….
• Fairy Tale — 2022 · ScribnerCopyright page states First Scribner hardcover edition September 2022 with a complete number line including the 1. Scribner also issued an unsigned deluxe edition with illustrated endpapers, gilded page edges, and a ribbon marker; do not confuse it with the trade first. US Scribner and UK Hodder & Stoughton editions were published essentially simultaneously; collectors treat the US Scribner as the true first. A signed UK limited of 200 copies exists but is a separate issue, not the true first. Copies without the 1 in the number line are later printings; book club copies typically lack the number line and the jacket price.
• Holly — 2023 · ScribnerThe copyright page states First Scribner hardcover edition September 2023 and carries a complete number line ending in 1 (Scribner's descending-then-ascending key, with the 1 present). The book is bound in boards with foil spine lettering and issued in a pictorial dust jacket that must retain its printed cover prices (US and Canada figures on the upper front flap); a first-issue jacket is not price-clipped. The US Scribner and UK Hodder & Stoughton editions were published essentially simultaneously in September 2023; collectors treat the US Scribner hardcover as the true first. The Scribner text is the primary appearance of this Holly Gibney novel. Copies without the 1 in the number line are later Scribner printings. Book club editions typically lack the number line, are printed on lighter bulk, and carry a jacket with no printed price; a blind-stamped dimple on the rear board is the usual book-club tell.

More Fantasy & Horror shelves: Steven Erikson, T.E.D. Klein, Terry Pratchett, Thomas Ligotti, Thomas Tryon, Tim Powers.

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