# Is "Cabal" by Clive Barker a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cabal by Clive Barker (Poseidon Press, 1988) is identified by: Poseidon Press, New York, 1988: first edition hardback in black cloth spine over red paper-covered boards, first printing with number line including 1. The US Poseidon Press 1988 hardback is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Poseidon Press, New York, 1988: first edition hardback in black cloth spine over red paper-covered boards, first printing with number line including 1
- The US edition uniquely contains the Cabal novella together with the four stories of Books of Blood Volume VI. Basis for the film Nightbreed
- A Poseidon signed limited issue of 750 copies was also produced
- Publisher imprint reads Poseidon Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Clive Barker |
| Publisher | Poseidon Press |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Poseidon Press, New York, 1988: first edition hardback in black cloth spine over red paper-covered boards, first printing with number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Poseidon Press, New York, 1988: first edition hardback in black cloth spine over red paper-covered boards, first printing with number line including 1. The US edition uniquely contains the Cabal novella together with the four stories of Books of Blood Volume VI. Basis for the film Nightbreed. A Poseidon signed limited issue of 750 copies was also produced.

## Is this the true first?
The US Poseidon Press 1988 hardback is the true first. In the UK, only a Fontana paperback appeared in 1988; the Collins hardback (2,300 copies) did not follow until 1989.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Poseidon/Doubleday book club edition exists: no price on the jacket flap, no number line, smaller format with cheaper binding.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Cabal* by Clive Barker a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/cabal
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.