# Is "The Best of Edward Abbey" by Edward Abbey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Best of Edward Abbey by Edward Abbey (Sierra Club Books, 1988) is identified by: First Sierra Club Books printing per their copyright-page convention. Not a true first: it is the 1988 Sierra Club reissue of the 1984 Dutton reader Slumgullion Stew (contents first collected in 1984).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Sierra Club Books printing per their copyright-page convention
- This is a retitled reprint of Slumgullion Stew, not a first appearance of the contents
- Publisher imprint reads Sierra Club Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Abbey |
| Publisher | Sierra Club Books |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Sierra Club Books printing per their copyright-page convention |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First Sierra Club Books printing per their copyright-page convention. This is a retitled reprint of Slumgullion Stew, not a first appearance of the contents.

## Is this the true first?
Not a true first: it is the 1988 Sierra Club reissue of the 1984 Dutton reader Slumgullion Stew (contents first collected in 1984). Collectors seeking the first appearance want the 1984 Dutton Slumgullion Stew.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Best of Edward Abbey* by Edward Abbey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-best-of-edward-abbey
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.