Is My Copy of The Shadow of the Torturer a First Edition?

The points of issue

• Simon & Schuster, New York, May 1980
• Volume One of The Book of the New Sun
• First printing is identified by the full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page — note that Simon & Schuster ran ascending lines in this period, so the presence of the '1' at the left end is the test, not a '10' at the right
• Octavo, collating [9], 11-303, [1]pp. Bound in quarter grey cloth over blue paper boards, with red lettering to the front board and spine
• Jacket art by Don Maitz; on an unclipped example the price is present at the front flap
• Absence of a remainder mark is expected on a collectible first-printing example

How Simon & Schuster marked a first edition

• ERA 3 — Number-line introduction (mid-1973–1980): S&S adopted a copyright-page number line. Read the lowest number present: a line whose lowest digit is 1 is a first printing (e.g. '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10' or the…

Full Simon & Schuster first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Read the number line — the lowest number is the printing. A line including 1 is a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2). Paste it into the decoder.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The US Simon & Schuster edition of 1980 is the true first and precedes the first UK edition, Sidgwick & Jackson, London 1981 (ISBN 0-283-98738-3, 304pp, wraparound jacket art by Bruce Pennington). Both are collected: the S&S is the true first, while the Sidgwick & Jackson is reported to have been printed in a small quantity and is sought in its own right — but it does not precede and must not be catalogued as a first edition without the 'first UK edition' qualifier. The novel won the 1981 World Fantasy Award for best novel.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

The Simon & Schuster book-club edition of 1980 is the routine trap and is distinguished in the usual way for the period — the trade edition's number line and the flap price are the positive tests, so a copy lacking the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 line should be treated as a book-club or later printing; specific blind-stamp and flap-marking details were not confirmed against two independent sources and are therefore not asserted here. Later 'first thus' reissues that are not firsts include the Easton Press 1995 leather-bound Masterpieces of Science Fiction volume (burgundy leather, 22kt gold, Michael Mariano artwork) and the Shadow and Claw omnibus pairing this novel with The Claw of the Conciliator.P-038784

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Shadow of the Torturer a first edition?

A first edition of The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe (Simon & Schuster) is identified by: Simon & Schuster, New York, May 1980; Volume One of The Book of the New Sun.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A number line whose lowest number is 1 marks a first printing (Random House ends at 2). The US Simon & Schuster edition of 1980 is the true first and precedes the first UK edition, Sidgwick & Jackson, London 1981 (ISBN 0-283-98738-3, 304pp, wraparound jacket art by Bruce Pennington).

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

The Simon & Schuster book-club edition of 1980 is the routine trap and is distinguished in the usual way for the period — the trade edition's number line and the flap price are the positive tests, so a copy lacking the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 line should be treated as a book-club or later printing; specific blind-stamp and flap-marking details were not confirmed against two independent sources and are therefore not asserted here.

I have a first edition of The Shadow of the Torturer — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.