The points of issue
First printing carries the 1983 Prometheus Books copyright with no statement of a later printing; posthumous novel (ISBN 0-87975-202-5). No distinctive published point of issue is documented in reliable sources.
Is this the true first?
US first edition; published posthumously (Farrell died in 1979).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is recorded; identify the first printing by the unannotated 1983 copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Sam Holman a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing carries the 1983 Prometheus Books copyright with no statement of a later printing; posthumous novel (ISBN 0-87975-202-5). No distinctive published point of issue is documented in reliable sources.
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 first edition; published posthumously (Farrell died in 1979).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition is recorded; identify the first printing by the unannotated 1983 copyright page.
I have a first edition of Sam Holman — 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.