# Is "Might as Well Be Dead" by Rex Stout a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Might as Well Be Dead by Rex Stout (Viking Press, 1956) is identified by: Nero Wolfe novel published by The Viking Press, New York, 1956. The US Viking Press edition is the true first, preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Nero Wolfe novel published by The Viking Press, New York, 1956
- First edition in blue-green boards with chartreuse cloth spine
- Later collected in the omnibus Three Aces (Viking, 1971)
- Publisher imprint reads Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Rex Stout |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Nero Wolfe novel published by The Viking Press, New York, 1956 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Nero Wolfe novel published by The Viking Press, New York, 1956. First edition in blue-green boards with chartreuse cloth spine. Later collected in the omnibus Three Aces (Viking, 1971).

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking Press edition is the true first, preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints and book-club editions follow the Viking first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Might as Well Be Dead* by Rex Stout a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/might-as-well-be-dead
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.