# Is "Needful Things" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Needful Things by Stephen King (Viking, 1991) is identified by: Viking trade first edition, New York, 1991, 690 pages. The US Viking edition is the true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Viking trade first edition, New York, 1991, 690 pages
- First printing carries the 'First published in 1991 by Viking Penguin' statement together with the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page
- Bound in black paper-covered boards with a quarter black cloth spine and orange stamping/illustration to the front board and spine; first-issue jacket retains its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Viking trade first edition, New York, 1991, 690 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Viking trade first edition, New York, 1991, 690 pages. First printing carries the 'First published in 1991 by Viking Penguin' statement together with the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page. Bound in black paper-covered boards with a quarter black cloth spine and orange stamping/illustration to the front board and spine; first-issue jacket retains its printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking edition is the true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows the same year. Confirm both the 'First published in 1991' line and the 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 number line to distinguish the true first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies carry BCE markings (a blind-stamped code to the rear board) and an unpriced jacket, and lack the Viking number line and 'First published in 1991' statement of the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Needful Things* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/needful-things
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.