# Is "The Woods Are Dark" by Richard Laymon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon (Warner Books, 1981) is identified by: Warner Books paperback original (ISBN 0-446-90518-6) with Warner first-printing statement on the copyright page. The 1981 Warner paperback original is the true first; the 2008 restored and uncut edition is a first-thus, not the first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Warner Books paperback original (ISBN 0-446-90518-6) with Warner first-printing statement on the copyright page
- The Warner text was heavily cut, with roughly fifty pages removed; the restored full text appeared in 2008 from Cemetery Dance (hardcover) and Leisure (paperback)
- Publisher imprint reads Warner Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Laymon |
| Publisher | Warner Books |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Warner Books paperback original (ISBN 0-446-90518-6) with Warner first-printing statement on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Warner Books paperback original (ISBN 0-446-90518-6) with Warner first-printing statement on the copyright page. The Warner text was heavily cut, with roughly fifty pages removed; the restored full text appeared in 2008 from Cemetery Dance (hardcover) and Leisure (paperback).

## Is this the true first?
The 1981 Warner paperback original is the true first; the 2008 restored and uncut edition is a first-thus, not the first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
N/A (paperback original).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Woods Are Dark* by Richard Laymon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-woods-are-dark
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.