# Is "Slumgullion Stew: An Edward Abbey Reader" by Edward Abbey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Slumgullion Stew: An Edward Abbey Reader by Edward Abbey (E.P. Dutton, 1984) is identified by: First printing bears Dutton's first-edition identification on the copyright page; edited and illustrated by Abbey. First-thus reader (first collected appearance of the selection); later reissued and retitled The Best of Edward Abbey by Sierra Club Books in 1988.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing bears Dutton's first-edition identification on the copyright page; edited and illustrated by Abbey
- A simultaneous softcover issue also exists
- Publisher imprint reads E.P. Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Abbey |
| Publisher | E.P. Dutton |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing bears Dutton's first-edition identification on the copyright page; edited… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing bears Dutton's first-edition identification on the copyright page; edited and illustrated by Abbey. A simultaneous softcover issue also exists.

## Is this the true first?
First-thus reader (first collected appearance of the selection); later reissued and retitled The Best of Edward Abbey by Sierra Club Books in 1988.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition concern.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Slumgullion Stew: An Edward Abbey Reader* by Edward Abbey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/slumgullion-stew-an-edward-abbey-reader
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.