# Is "The Stake" by Richard Laymon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Stake by Richard Laymon (Headline, 1990) is identified by: Headline (London) hardcover first edition, 1990; the copyright page carries a complete descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, with the 1 present marking the first printing. The Headline UK hardcover is the true first (1990); the US St.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Headline (London) hardcover first edition, 1990; the copyright page carries a complete descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, with the 1 present marking the first printing
- Bound in red boards with black lettering to the spine, issued in a pictorial dust jacket
- A first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap; the amount is not stated here, but its presence and lack of any later-printing or book-club overprint are the points to check
- Text-block toning at the extremities is characteristic of the title and is a condition trait, not an edition point
- Publisher imprint reads Headline
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Laymon |
| Publisher | Headline |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Headline (London) hardcover first edition, 1990; the copyright page carries a complete descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, with… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Headline (London) hardcover first edition, 1990; the copyright page carries a complete descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, with the 1 present marking the first printing. Bound in red boards with black lettering to the spine, issued in a pictorial dust jacket. A first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap; the amount is not stated here, but its presence and lack of any later-printing or book-club overprint are the points to check. Text-block toning at the extremities is characteristic of the title and is a condition trait, not an edition point.

## Is this the true first?
The Headline UK hardcover is the true first (1990); the US St. Martin's Press hardcover, in its own illustrated jacket, followed in 1991.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No UK book-club issue is commonly reported; confirm the Headline imprint and the complete descending number line ending in 1, and that the printed jacket price is present and unaltered.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Stake* by Richard Laymon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-stake
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.