# Is "The Rider of Lost Creek" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Rider of Lost Creek by Louis L'Amour (Bantam Books, 1976) is identified by: Bantam paperback original, 1976 (Kilkenny series). True first is the 1976 Bantam paperback original; there was no prior hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam paperback original, 1976 (Kilkenny series)
- First book edition; no hardcover precedes it
- The story is an expansion of L'Amour's 1947 West magazine novella written as Jim Mayo, but the 1976 Bantam is the first appearance in book form
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam paperback original, 1976 (Kilkenny series) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bantam paperback original, 1976 (Kilkenny series). First book edition; no hardcover precedes it. The story is an expansion of L'Amour's 1947 West magazine novella written as Jim Mayo, but the 1976 Bantam is the first appearance in book form.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1976 Bantam paperback original; there was no prior hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable; paperback original, so no book-club edition issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Rider of Lost Creek* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-rider-of-lost-creek
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.