# Is "Funland" by Richard Laymon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Funland by Richard Laymon (W.H. Allen, 1989) is identified by: Allen (London) hardcover first edition, 1989; ISBN 0491034490 / 9780491034494. The W.H.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- W.H. Allen (London) hardcover first edition, 1989
- ISBN 0491034490 / 9780491034494
- The copyright page states first publication in Great Britain in 1989 by W.H. Allen and Co
- The first-state dust jacket should retain its printed cover price and be unclipped
- This UK hardcover was a Bram Stoker Award nominee
- Publisher imprint reads W.H. Allen
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Laymon |
| Publisher | W.H. Allen |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | W.H. Allen (London) hardcover first edition, 1989 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
W.H. Allen (London) hardcover first edition, 1989; ISBN 0491034490 / 9780491034494. The copyright page states first publication in Great Britain in 1989 by W.H. Allen and Co. The first-state dust jacket should retain its printed cover price and be unclipped. This UK hardcover was a Bram Stoker Award nominee.

## Is this the true first?
The W.H. Allen UK hardcover is the true first; the US Onyx paperback followed in 1990, and Headline only reprinted the title later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition is commonly reported; confirm the W.H. Allen imprint and the 1989 first-publication statement, and do not mistake later Headline reissues for the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Funland* by Richard Laymon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/funland
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.