# Is "The Shadow of the Torturer" by Gene Wolfe a First Edition?

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

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gene Wolfe |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster, New York, May 1980 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## 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.

## Is this the true first?
Census claim confirmed. 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Shadow of the Torturer* by Gene Wolfe a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-shadow-of-the-torturer
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.