# Is "The Tale of the Body Thief" by Anne Rice a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice (Alfred A. Knopf, 1992) is identified by: 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page per Knopf convention. US Knopf first, 1992.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page per Knopf convention
- Bound in quarter cloth over grey paper-covered boards with a silver foil-stamped spine (ISBN 0-679-40528-3)
- The first-issue dust jacket retains the printed price on the front flap, unclipped, with '10/92' noted at the foot of the rear flap
- Vampire Chronicles book four
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Rice |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page per Knopf convention |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page per Knopf convention. Bound in quarter cloth over grey paper-covered boards with a silver foil-stamped spine (ISBN 0-679-40528-3). The first-issue dust jacket retains the printed price on the front flap, unclipped, with '10/92' noted at the foot of the rear flap. Vampire Chronicles book four.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf first, 1992.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are blind-stamped on the rear board, omit the 'First Edition' statement, and carry a jacket with no printed price and no '10/92' rear-flap code.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Tale of the Body Thief* by Anne Rice a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-tale-of-the-body-thief
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.