The points of issue
Essay collection in hardcover boards with gilt-lettered spine and dust jacket. First edition states first publication in 1986 with no later-impression statement.
Is this the true first?
UK Cape (1986) precedes the first US edition from Viking (1987).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are identified by an added impression statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Moronic Inferno and Other Visits to America a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Essay collection in hardcover boards with gilt-lettered spine and dust jacket. First edition states first publication in 1986 with no later-impression statement.
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. UK Cape (1986) precedes the first US edition from Viking (1987).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings are identified by an added impression statement.
I have a first edition of The Moronic Inferno and Other Visits to America — 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.