# Is "Hollywood Nocturnes (a.k.a. Dick Contino's Blues)" by James Ellroy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hollywood Nocturnes (a.k.a. Dick Contino's Blues) by James Ellroy (Otto Penzler Books, 1994) is identified by: First hardcover, published under the Otto Penzler Books imprint. US Otto Penzler Books first edition, 1994, is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First hardcover, published under the Otto Penzler Books imprint
- Stated first edition on the copyright page
- Collects the novella 'Dick Contino's Blues' with five short stories
- 229 pages
- Publisher imprint reads Otto Penzler Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ellroy |
| Publisher | Otto Penzler Books |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First hardcover, published under the Otto Penzler Books imprint |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First hardcover, published under the Otto Penzler Books imprint. Stated first edition on the copyright page. Collects the novella 'Dick Contino's Blues' with five short stories; 229 pages.

## Is this the true first?
US Otto Penzler Books first edition, 1994, is the true first. The UK Century edition appeared under the title 'Dick Contino's Blues and Other Stories.'

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book club edition. The UK title change is a first-thus retitling, not a separate true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hollywood Nocturnes (a.k.a. Dick Contino's Blues)* by James Ellroy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hollywood-nocturnes-aka-dick-continos-blues
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.