# Is "The Hunter (Parker #1)" by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hunter (Parker #1) by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) (Pocket Books, 1962) is identified by: Pocket Books paperback original, first printing, December 1962. A paperback original, so the first Pocket Books printing is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pocket Books paperback original, first printing, December 1962
- The first Parker novel and the debut of the Richard Stark pseudonym; the basis for the films Point Blank and Payback
- Publisher imprint reads Pocket Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) |
| Publisher | Pocket Books |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Pocket Books paperback original, first printing, December 1962 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Pocket Books paperback original, first printing, December 1962. The first Parker novel and the debut of the Richard Stark pseudonym; the basis for the films Point Blank and Payback.

## Is this the true first?
A paperback original, so the first Pocket Books printing is the true first. Later Allison & Busby and Gregg Press hardcovers are reprints (later-thus).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Pocket printings note additional printings on the copyright page; the various hardcover reissues are all later editions.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hunter (Parker #1)* by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hunter-parker-1
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.