# Is "Reckless Eyeballing" by Ishmael Reed a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Reckless Eyeballing by Ishmael Reed (St. Martin's Press, 1986) is identified by: First edition, first printing, stated, with the number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. True first is the 1986 St.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, stated, with the number line descending to 1 on the copyright page
- Bound in black cloth-covered boards with the spine title stamped in bright gilt; octavo, 148 pages
- Issued in the original pictorial dust jacket, which should retain its printed price (present, not clipped) on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads St. Martin's Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ishmael Reed |
| Publisher | St. Martin's Press |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, stated, with the number line descending to 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, stated, with the number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. Bound in black cloth-covered boards with the spine title stamped in bright gilt; octavo, 148 pages. Issued in the original pictorial dust jacket, which should retain its printed price (present, not clipped) on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1986 St. Martin's Press (New York) hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Reckless Eyeballing* by Ishmael Reed a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/reckless-eyeballing
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.