# Is "Thinner" by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Thinner by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman) (NAL Books, 1984) is identified by: True first is the NAL hardcover, jacketed and bylined Richard Bachman, with the copyright page stating First Printing, November, 1984 and a number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, the printed jacket price present. The first state is the pre-revelation Bachman-bylined NAL hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the NAL hardcover, jacketed and bylined Richard Bachman, with the copyright page stating First Printing, November, 1984 and a number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, the printed jacket price present
- Black quarter cloth over red boards with red-stamped spine
- Published before the Bachman-equals-King identity was made public in early 1985
- The rear-flap author photo, credited to Claudia Bachman, is actually of Richard Manuel, a friend of King's literary agent Kirby McCauley
- Publisher imprint reads NAL Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King (as Richard Bachman) |
| Publisher | NAL Books |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the NAL hardcover, jacketed and bylined Richard Bachman, with the copyright page stating First Printing, November, 1984 and a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the NAL hardcover, jacketed and bylined Richard Bachman, with the copyright page stating First Printing, November, 1984 and a number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, the printed jacket price present. Black quarter cloth over red boards with red-stamped spine. Published before the Bachman-equals-King identity was made public in early 1985. The rear-flap author photo, credited to Claudia Bachman, is actually of Richard Manuel, a friend of King's literary agent Kirby McCauley.

## Is this the true first?
The first state is the pre-revelation Bachman-bylined NAL hardcover. Thinner was the only original Bachman title first issued in hardcover; the earlier Bachman novels were paperback originals.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and editions add the Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman tie-in wording and are not the first; a book club issue lacks the jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Thinner* by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/thinner
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.