# Is "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (Donald M. Grant, 1982) is identified by: Grant first edition, first printing: 10,000 trade copies plus 500 signed and numbered slipcased copies. The Grant edition is the true first; no prior trade publication.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Grant first edition, first printing: 10,000 trade copies plus 500 signed and numbered slipcased copies
- Illustrated by Michael Whelan
- Copyright page states First Edition with no later-printing notice; the 1984 second printing (also 10,000 copies) is identified as such on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Donald M. Grant
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Donald M. Grant |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Grant first edition, first printing: 10,000 trade copies plus 500 signed and numbered slipcased copies |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Grant first edition, first printing: 10,000 trade copies plus 500 signed and numbered slipcased copies. Illustrated by Michael Whelan. Copyright page states First Edition with no later-printing notice; the 1984 second printing (also 10,000 copies) is identified as such on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The Grant edition is the true first; no prior trade publication. The 500-copy signed and numbered issue is the signed limited first. The NAL/Plume trade reprint followed in 1988.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable; the later NAL/Plume trade is a reprint, not a club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-dark-tower-the-gunslinger
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.