# Is "Four Past Midnight" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Four Past Midnight by Stephen King (Viking, 1990) is identified by: Viking 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. US Viking edition is the true first; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Viking 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
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Viking 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… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Viking 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.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking edition is the true first; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition identifiable by blind stamp on rear board and unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Four Past Midnight* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/four-past-midnight
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.