# Is "The Magic Wagon" by Joe R. Lansdale a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Magic Wagon by Joe R. Lansdale (Doubleday, 1986) is identified by: Doubleday (Garden City) 'Double D Western' US first edition, 182 pp, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page. US Doubleday hardcover is the true first; the Bantam mass-market paperback (1988) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday (Garden City) 'Double D Western' US first edition, 182 pp, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page
- This was Lansdale's first hardcover
- The dust jacket of the true first is price-clipped-free and carries a printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joe R. Lansdale |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday (Garden City) 'Double D Western' US first edition, 182 pp, with 'First Edition'… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday (Garden City) 'Double D Western' US first edition, 182 pp, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page. This was Lansdale's first hardcover. The dust jacket of the true first is price-clipped-free and carries a printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday hardcover is the true first; the Bantam mass-market paperback (1988) follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Doubleday book club copies of this era lack the jacket price and typically bear a blindstamp or gutter dot on the rear board; they omit or alter the 'First Edition' statement. A priced jacket plus a stated 'First Edition' distinguishes the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Magic Wagon* by Joe R. Lansdale a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-magic-wagon
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.