# Is "Night Show" by Richard Laymon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Night Show by Richard Laymon (New English Library, 1984) is identified by: New English Library (UK) paperback original, 1984. The 1984 UK New English Library paperback is the true first; the US Tor paperback original followed in 1986.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New English Library (UK) paperback original, 1984
- The first US edition is the Tor paperback of January 1986
- The novel did not appear in hardcover until the much later Dark Regions Press definitive edition
- Publisher imprint reads New English Library
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Laymon |
| Publisher | New English Library |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New English Library (UK) paperback original, 1984 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
New English Library (UK) paperback original, 1984. The first US edition is the Tor paperback of January 1986. The novel did not appear in hardcover until the much later Dark Regions Press definitive edition.

## Is this the true first?
The 1984 UK New English Library paperback is the true first; the US Tor paperback original followed in 1986.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Night Show* by Richard Laymon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/night-show
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.