# Is "The Big Knockover (ed. Lillian Hellman)" by Dashiell Hammett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Big Knockover (ed. Lillian Hellman) by Dashiell Hammett (Random House, 1966) is identified by: US Random House, New York, 1966 (posthumous), edited with an introduction by Lillian Hellman; selected stories and short novels including the previously uncollected 'Tulip.' First hardcover appearance of this selection. The US Random House edition is the true first of this collection.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Random House, New York, 1966 (posthumous), edited with an introduction by Lillian Hellman; selected stories and short novels including the previously uncollected 'Tulip.' First hardcover appearance of this selection
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dashiell Hammett |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Random House, New York, 1966 (posthumous), edited with an introduction by Lillian… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Random House, New York, 1966 (posthumous), edited with an introduction by Lillian Hellman; selected stories and short novels including the previously uncollected 'Tulip.' First hardcover appearance of this selection.

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House edition is the true first of this collection. A UK Cassell edition of the same year carries the different title 'The Dashiell Hammett Story Omnibus'; the Random House edition is the primary first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Book Club edition exists and can be distinguished by the absence of a price on the jacket flap and the usual book-club markings on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Big Knockover (ed. Lillian Hellman)* by Dashiell Hammett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-big-knockover-ed-lillian-hellman
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.