# Is "From a Buick 8" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of From a Buick 8 by Stephen King (Scribner, 2002) is identified by: First 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. 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.

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

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First 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 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First 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.

## Is this the true first?
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.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *From a Buick 8* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/from-a-buick-8
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.