# Is "Hide and Seek" by Jack Ketchum a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hide and Seek by Jack Ketchum (Ballantine, 1984) is identified by: Ballantine mass-market paperback original, 1984, ISBN 0345312376 (978-0345312372), 194 pp. The Ballantine PBO is the true first; later limited hardcovers (Overlook Connection, Gauntlet, Cemetery Dance) are first-thus only.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ballantine mass-market paperback original, 1984, ISBN 0345312376 (978-0345312372), 194 pp
- Copyright page states 'First Edition' dated 1984 with no later printings listed; the price is printed on the cover as issued
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jack Ketchum |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ballantine mass-market paperback original, 1984, ISBN 0345312376 (978-0345312372), 194 pp |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ballantine mass-market paperback original, 1984, ISBN 0345312376 (978-0345312372), 194 pp. Copyright page states 'First Edition' dated 1984 with no later printings listed; the price is printed on the cover as issued.

## Is this the true first?
The Ballantine PBO is the true first; later limited hardcovers (Overlook Connection, Gauntlet, Cemetery Dance) are first-thus only.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
N/A (paperback original).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hide and Seek* by Jack Ketchum a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hide-and-seek
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.