# Is "Savage Night" by Jim Thompson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Savage Night by Jim Thompson (Lion Books, 1953) is identified by: True first is the paperback original, Lion Books #155 (1953). Paperback is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the paperback original, Lion Books #155
- Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it
- Lion logo and number 155; first printing carries the original price and no later-printing line
- Publisher imprint reads Lion Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jim Thompson |
| Publisher | Lion Books |
| Year | 1953 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the paperback original, Lion Books #155 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first is the paperback original, Lion Books #155 (1953). Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it. Lion logo and number 155; first printing carries the original price and no later-printing line.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback is the true first. Modern reprints are first-thus only.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Distinguish the Lion #155 first from later reissues.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Savage Night* by Jim Thompson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/savage-night
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.