# Is "The Sword of Shannara" by Terry Brooks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks (Random House / Del Rey, 1977) is identified by: The first printing follows Random House practice of the period: the words First Edition together with a descending number line, in an oversized format illustrated by the Brothers Hildebrandt (two full-page black-and-white plates plus a folding color plate), with the printed price present on the jacket. The US Random House edition is the true first and Brooks's debut, a landmark of commercial epic fantasy.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing follows Random House practice of the period: the words First Edition together with a descending number line, in an oversized format illustrated by the Brothers Hildebrandt (two full-page black-and-white plates plus a folding color plate), with the printed price present on the jacket
- Quarter black cloth over papered boards with a stamped initial on the front board
- Brooks's debut
- Publisher imprint reads Random House / Del Rey
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Terry Brooks |
| Publisher | Random House / Del Rey |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing follows Random House practice of the period: the words First Edition together with a descending number line, in an… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing follows Random House practice of the period: the words First Edition together with a descending number line, in an oversized format illustrated by the Brothers Hildebrandt (two full-page black-and-white plates plus a folding color plate), with the printed price present on the jacket. Quarter black cloth over papered boards with a stamped initial on the front board. Brooks's debut.

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House edition is the true first and Brooks's debut, a landmark of commercial epic fantasy.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club printing is smaller, carries a blind gutter code on the rear board, has an unpriced jacket, and omits the First Edition statement. Confusion is common given the large book-club run.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sword of Shannara* by Terry Brooks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sword-of-shannara
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.