The points of issue
The text first appeared in the anthology Night Visions 3, published by Dark Harvest in November 1986, which was issued in a trade hardcover and a signed/limited slipcased state. The first US standalone repackaging was the Berkley mass-market paperback titled Night Visions: The Hellbound Heart in 1988. A standalone edition under the bare title The Hellbound Heart from HarperPaperbacks did not appear until 1991, following the success of the Hellraiser film; the UK Fontana paperback also dates to 1991.
Is this the true first?
The true first appearance is within Night Visions 3 (Dark Harvest, 1986), the source of the film Hellraiser. The original record's pairing of HarperPaperbacks with 1988 is incorrect: the 1988 standalone was Berkley's Night Visions: The Hellbound Heart, while the HarperPaperbacks standalone is 1991. Any separately titled paperback is first thus, not the first appearance of the text.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No conventional book club edition. The standalone paperbacks are first thus and do not represent the first printing of the text.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Hellbound Heart a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The text first appeared in the anthology Night Visions 3, published by Dark Harvest in November 1986, which was issued in a trade hardcover and a signed/limited slipcased state. The first US standalone repackaging was the Berkley mass-market paperback titled Night Visions: The Hellbound Heart in 1988. A standalone edition under the bare title The Hellbound Heart from HarperPaperbacks did not appear until 1991, following the success of the Hellraiser film; the UK Fontana paperback also dates to 1991.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The true first appearance is within Night Visions 3 (Dark Harvest, 1986), the source of the film Hellraiser. The original record's pairing of HarperPaperbacks with 1988 is incorrect: the 1988 standalone was Berkley's Night Visions: The Hellbound Heart, while the HarperPaperbacks standalone is 1991.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No conventional book club edition. The standalone paperbacks are first thus and do not represent the first printing of the text.
I have a first edition of The Hellbound Heart — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.