# Is "The Thanatos Syndrome" by Walker Percy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Thanatos Syndrome by Walker Percy (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1987) is identified by: "First printing" stated on the copyright page; half black cloth with green paper boards. US (FSG) trade hardcover is the true first; the UK edition (Andre Deutsch, 1987) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First printing" stated on the copyright page; half black cloth with green paper boards
- Percy's last novel
- First-issue dust jacket priced 17.95
- A separate signed limited edition was issued by the Franklin Library (full green leather, raised bands, all edges gilt, with a special message from the author), not by FSG
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Walker Percy |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First printing" stated on the copyright page; half black cloth with green paper boards |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First printing" stated on the copyright page; half black cloth with green paper boards. Percy's last novel. First-issue dust jacket priced 17.95. A separate signed limited edition was issued by the Franklin Library (full green leather, raised bands, all edges gilt, with a special message from the author), not by FSG.

## Is this the true first?
US (FSG) trade hardcover is the true first; the UK edition (Andre Deutsch, 1987) follows. The Franklin Library signed leather edition is a separately produced premium, not an FSG trade variant.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition lacks the printing statement; the key distinction is FSG trade first versus the Franklin Library signed leather edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Thanatos Syndrome* by Walker Percy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-thanatos-syndrome
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.