# Is "The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I)" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I) by Stephen King (Donald M. Grant, 1982) is identified by: Grant, Publisher (West Kingston, Rhode Island), 1982; illustrated by Michael Whelan in color and black-and-white. The Donald M.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Donald M. Grant, Publisher (West Kingston, Rhode Island), 1982; illustrated by Michael Whelan in color and black-and-white
- Two issues: a trade issue of 10,000 copies in brown cloth boards lettered in gilt, in a pictorial Whelan dust jacket; and a signed limited issue of 500 copies, signed by King and Whelan and numbered on the limitation page, housed in a slipcase
- The first printing states 'First Edition' and 'First Printing May 1982' on the copyright page; the jacket carries the two printed prices (trade and limited), unclipped
- There is no 'first edition' mass-market or trade-paperback state — the Grant hardcover is the first appearance
- 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 | Donald M. Grant, Publisher (West Kingston, Rhode Island), 1982; illustrated by Michael Whelan in color and black-and-white |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Donald M. Grant, Publisher (West Kingston, Rhode Island), 1982; illustrated by Michael Whelan in color and black-and-white. Two issues: a trade issue of 10,000 copies in brown cloth boards lettered in gilt, in a pictorial Whelan dust jacket; and a signed limited issue of 500 copies, signed by King and Whelan and numbered on the limitation page, housed in a slipcase. The first printing states 'First Edition' and 'First Printing May 1982' on the copyright page; the jacket carries the two printed prices (trade and limited), unclipped. There is no 'first edition' mass-market or trade-paperback state — the Grant hardcover is the first appearance.

## Is this the true first?
The Donald M. Grant edition (1982) is the true first. There was no mass-market first: the Plume/NAL trade paperback did not appear until 1988, and the 2003 Viking edition carries King's revised text — neither is a first. The 500-copy signed and numbered slipcased issue is the scarcest state; the 10,000-copy trade is the common first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
There is no book-club edition of the Grant first. The trap is later Grant states offered as firsts: Grant reprinted the title (a 1984 second printing of about 10,000 copies, and an 11,000-copy third printing as part of a 1998 boxed set). The first printing is fixed by 'First Edition' / 'First Printing May 1982' on the copyright page; later Grant printings drop the 'First Edition' statement or add a later-printing notice. Also beware the 1988 Plume paperback and the 2003 revised-text edition.

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