The points of issue
US Knopf hardcover, 1987; 386 pp; ISBN 0-394-53896-X (9780394538969). Look for stated 'First Edition' with the Borzoi colophon and a full number line ending in 1. Published five years posthumously.
Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1987 hardcover is the true first. The UK Heinemann edition is a separate British first. The 1988 Vintage trade paperback (ISBN 0679720456, subtitle 'The Work of a Legendary Critic...') is a reprint, not the first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Vintage paperback reissues are the most common copies in the market and are routinely miscatalogued as 'first'; the first is the Knopf cloth hardcover only.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US Knopf hardcover, 1987; 386 pp; ISBN 0-394-53896-X (9780394538969). Look for stated 'First Edition' with the Borzoi colophon and a full number line ending in 1. Published five years posthumously.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Knopf 1987 hardcover is the true first. The UK Heinemann edition is a separate British first. The 1988 Vintage trade paperback (ISBN 0679720456, subtitle 'The Work of a Legendary Critic...') is a reprint, not the first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Vintage paperback reissues are the most common copies in the market and are routinely miscatalogued as 'first'; the first is the Knopf cloth hardcover only.
I have a first edition of Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.