# Is "Sombrero Fallout: A Japanese Novel" by Richard Brautigan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sombrero Fallout: A Japanese Novel by Richard Brautigan (Simon & Schuster, 1976) is identified by: Simon & Schuster (New York) hardcover, 1976 (ISBN 0-671-22331-3). The true first is the 1976 Simon & Schuster hardcover (first printing 1 September 1976).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Simon & Schuster (New York) hardcover, 1976 (ISBN 0-671-22331-3)
- The edition is not word-stated; the first printing is identified by the number line on the copyright page
- During this period (mid-1973 to 1980) Simon & Schuster set the row in interlaced order with the lowest number at the left, so a first printing shows the '1' present and leading (the odd-then-even '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' form); later printings drop the leading low digit
- The first printing is bound in light rose paper-covered boards with the title embossed in deep rose on the front cover and spine, over rose endpapers, and the first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Brautigan |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster (New York) hardcover, 1976 (ISBN 0-671-22331-3) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Simon & Schuster (New York) hardcover, 1976 (ISBN 0-671-22331-3). The edition is not word-stated; the first printing is identified by the number line on the copyright page. During this period (mid-1973 to 1980) Simon & Schuster set the row in interlaced order with the lowest number at the left, so a first printing shows the '1' present and leading (the odd-then-even '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' form); later printings drop the leading low digit. The first printing is bound in light rose paper-covered boards with the title embossed in deep rose on the front cover and spine, over rose endpapers, and the first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the 1976 Simon & Schuster hardcover (first printing 1 September 1976). The UK edition followed from Jonathan Cape in 1977.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition is typically blind-stamped on the rear board and issued with a jacket bearing no printed price; it also lacks the leading '1' of the trade first's number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sombrero Fallout: A Japanese Novel* by Richard Brautigan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sombrero-fallout-a-japanese-novel
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.