# Is "Spy of the First Person (novel)" by Sam Shepard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Spy of the First Person (novel) by Sam Shepard (Alfred A. Knopf, 2017) is identified by: Cloth with dust jacket; Alfred A. The US Knopf 2017 edition is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Cloth with dust jacket
- Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2017 (Shepard's final book, published December 2017)
- First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sam Shepard |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2017 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Cloth with dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Cloth with dust jacket; Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2017 (Shepard's final book, published December 2017). First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf 2017 edition is the true first edition.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Spy of the First Person (novel)* by Sam Shepard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/spy-of-the-first-person-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 2026-07-03.