# Is "The God of Hell" by Sam Shepard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The God of Hell by Sam Shepard (Vintage Books, 2005) is identified by: Vintage trade paperback original, 2005 (ISBN 1-400-09651-0), issued as a paperback original with 'A Vintage Original' stated on the copyright page. US Vintage paperback original is the first US book appearance.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Vintage trade paperback original, 2005 (ISBN 1-400-09651-0), issued as a paperback original with 'A Vintage Original' stated on the copyright page
- There was no prior US hardcover
- Publisher imprint reads Vintage Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sam Shepard |
| Publisher | Vintage Books |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Vintage trade paperback original, 2005 (ISBN 1-400-09651-0), issued as a paperback… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Vintage trade paperback original, 2005 (ISBN 1-400-09651-0), issued as a paperback original with 'A Vintage Original' stated on the copyright page. There was no prior US hardcover.

## Is this the true first?
US Vintage paperback original is the first US book appearance. A UK Methuen edition (ISBN 0-413-77566-6) also exists as a competing edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; issued as a paperback original.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The God of Hell* by Sam Shepard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-god-of-hell
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.