# Is "The Silence of the Lambs" by Thomas Harris a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (St. Martin's Press, 1988) is identified by: Martin's Press first printing: copyright page states 'First Edition' ABOVE a complete number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (must end in 1). US St.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Martin's Press first printing: copyright page states 'First Edition' ABOVE a complete number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (must end in 1)
- Boards gray with the author's initials 'TH' as a BLIND STAMP on the front board; burgundy/maroon cloth spine
- Dust jacket with its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads St. Martin's Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Thomas Harris |
| Publisher | St. Martin's Press |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Martin's Press first printing: copyright page states 'First Edition' ABOVE a complete number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (must end in 1) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
St. Martin's Press first printing: copyright page states 'First Edition' ABOVE a complete number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (must end in 1). Boards gray with the author's initials 'TH' as a BLIND STAMP on the front board; burgundy/maroon cloth spine. Dust jacket with its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US St. Martin's 1988 is the true first, preceding the UK Heinemann edition (1989). The US first with full number line is the standard; signed copies sought.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book Club Edition lacks the number line, has a blind dot/square stamp on the rear board, no price on the jacket, and reduced trim size. The BCE often still says 'First Edition' on the copyright page but has NO number line — the number line ending in 1 is the deciding factor.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Silence of the Lambs* by Thomas Harris a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-silence-of-the-lambs
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.