# Is "Geronimo Rex" by Barry Hannah a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Geronimo Rex by Barry Hannah (The Viking Press, 1972) is identified by: Orange cloth-backed red boards with gilt and red spine lettering; yellow topstain; color pictorial dust jacket designed by Stuart Rosenberg, unclipped at the original 7.95 price. The US Viking 1972 trade hardcover is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Orange cloth-backed red boards with gilt and red spine lettering; yellow topstain; color pictorial dust jacket designed by Stuart Rosenberg, unclipped at the original 7.95 price
- Hannah's first novel and a National Book Award nominee
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Barry Hannah |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Orange cloth-backed red boards with gilt and red spine lettering; yellow topstain; color pictorial dust jacket designed by Stuart… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Orange cloth-backed red boards with gilt and red spine lettering; yellow topstain; color pictorial dust jacket designed by Stuart Rosenberg, unclipped at the original 7.95 price. Hannah's first novel and a National Book Award nominee.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking 1972 trade hardcover is the true first. An advance/uncorrected state in wrappers also exists and is sometimes seen signed; the trade hardcover is the standard collected first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issue: blind-stamp to the rear board, no price on the jacket, and cheaper boards; lacks the Viking first-issue points.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Geronimo Rex* by Barry Hannah a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/geronimo-rex
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.