# Is "The Eyes of the Dragon" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King (Philtrum Press, 1984) is identified by: True first is the Philtrum Press limited (Bangor, fall 1984), illustrated by Kenneth R. Philtrum Press 1984 limited is the true first; the Viking 1987 trade edition is the first trade edition (separate points: number line, the printed price jacket).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the Philtrum Press limited (Bangor, fall 1984), illustrated by Kenneth R. Linkhauser: 1,250 oversize copies, all in a matching slipcase
- Of these, 1,000 copies were for sale and numbered in black ink (1-1000), and 250 copies were reserved for private distribution and numbered in red ink (1-250)
- Sold only by mail
- Publisher imprint reads Philtrum Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Philtrum Press |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the Philtrum Press limited (Bangor, fall 1984), illustrated by Kenneth R. Linkhauser: 1,250 oversize copies, all in a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the Philtrum Press limited (Bangor, fall 1984), illustrated by Kenneth R. Linkhauser: 1,250 oversize copies, all in a matching slipcase. Of these, 1,000 copies were for sale and numbered in black ink (1-1000), and 250 copies were reserved for private distribution and numbered in red ink (1-250). Sold only by mail.

## Is this the true first?
Philtrum Press 1984 limited is the true first; the Viking 1987 trade edition is the first trade edition (separate points: number line, the printed price jacket). Collectors distinguish the scarce signed Philtrum limited from the common Viking trade.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Any trade hardcover is the Viking 1987 (or later); BCE Viking copies lack the jacket price and have the rear-board blind-stamp. The Philtrum is identifiable by its limitation/numbering page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Eyes of the Dragon* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-eyes-of-the-dragon
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.