# Is "The Bottoms" by Joe R. Lansdale a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Bottoms by Joe R. Lansdale (Subterranean Press, 2000) is identified by: Two distinct 2000 states. Correction: the Subterranean Press limited edition (2000) precedes the Mysterious Press trade edition by roughly six months and uses a different (uncut) text, making it the true first edition of the work.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Two distinct 2000 states
- The Subterranean Press limited edition (signed, 400 numbered plus 26 lettered copies, illustrated) was published roughly May 2000 and is set from Lansdale's longer original manuscript
- The Mysterious Press trade hardcover, with the standard text, followed about six months later; its first printing states 'First Edition' with a complete number line down to 1 and carries the printed price on the first-issue jacket
- Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel
- Publisher imprint reads Subterranean Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joe R. Lansdale |
| Publisher | Subterranean Press |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Two distinct 2000 states |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Two distinct 2000 states. The Subterranean Press limited edition (signed, 400 numbered plus 26 lettered copies, illustrated) was published roughly May 2000 and is set from Lansdale's longer original manuscript. The Mysterious Press trade hardcover, with the standard text, followed about six months later; its first printing states 'First Edition' with a complete number line down to 1 and carries the printed price on the first-issue jacket. Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel (2001).

## Is this the true first?
Correction: the Subterranean Press limited edition (2000) precedes the Mysterious Press trade edition by roughly six months and uses a different (uncut) text, making it the true first edition of the work. The Mysterious Press hardcover (2000) is the first trade edition and the first appearance of the published text. Buyers should specify which they want, as the two are textually different.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions of the trade text are common: blind-stamp to the rear board and no price on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Bottoms* by Joe R. Lansdale a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-bottoms
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.