# Is "Body Rides" by Richard Laymon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Body Rides by Richard Laymon (Headline, 1996) is identified by: London: Headline, 1996. The UK Headline hardcover of 1996 is the true first edition; there is no earlier printing (the author's earlier work sometimes appeared under the pseudonym Richard Kelley, but Body Rides was issued under his own name).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- London: Headline, 1996
- First edition, first printing, showing the full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page
- Bound in black cloth (boards) with silver gilt stamping to the spine, 384 pp; cover art by Steve Crisp
- The first-issue jacket should retain the printed price to the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Headline
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Laymon |
| Publisher | Headline |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | London: Headline, 1996 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
London: Headline, 1996. First edition, first printing, showing the full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page. Bound in black cloth (boards) with silver gilt stamping to the spine, 384 pp; cover art by Steve Crisp. The first-issue jacket should retain the printed price to the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Headline hardcover of 1996 is the true first edition; there is no earlier printing (the author's earlier work sometimes appeared under the pseudonym Richard Kelley, but Body Rides was issued under his own name).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprint and later-printing copies show a number line that no longer begins with 1; require the complete 1-to-10 line and a jacket retaining the printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Body Rides* by Richard Laymon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/body-rides
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.