# Is "Weird Tales (pulp magazine)" by various (ed. Farnsworth Wright et al.) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Weird Tales (pulp magazine) by various (ed. Farnsworth Wright et al.) (Rural Publishing / Popular Fiction Publishing, 1923 onward) is identified by: Key collectible issues are identified by date and contents rather than 'edition': e.g., the first issue (March 1923); issues with first Conan/Robert E. Pulps were not reprinted, so the original issue IS the first appearance of its stories.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Key collectible issues are identified by date and contents rather than 'edition': e.g., the first issue (March 1923); issues with first Conan/Robert E. Howard appearances ('The Phoenix on the Sword,' Dec
- 1932); first Cthulhu Mythos appearances by H. P. Lovecraft ('The Call of Cthulhu,' Weird Tales Feb
- Each pulp issue exists in a single printing; identification is by cover date, volume/number, and verified contents
- Publisher imprint reads Rural Publishing / Popular Fiction Publishing
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | various (ed. Farnsworth Wright et al.) |
| Publisher | Rural Publishing / Popular Fiction Publishing |
| Year | 1923 onward |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Key collectible issues are identified by date and contents rather than 'edition': e.g., the first issue (March 1923); issues with first… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Iconic pulp. Key collectible issues are identified by date and contents rather than 'edition': e.g., the first issue (March 1923); issues with first Conan/Robert E. Howard appearances ('The Phoenix on the Sword,' Dec. 1932); first Cthulhu Mythos appearances by H. P. Lovecraft ('The Call of Cthulhu,' Weird Tales Feb. 1928). Each pulp issue exists in a single printing; identification is by cover date, volume/number, and verified contents.

## Is this the true first?
Pulps were not reprinted, so the original issue IS the first appearance of its stories. Value hinges on the specific issue (first appearances of major characters/authors) and condition, not edition state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club analog. Beware later facsimile reprints of famous issues (clearly marked reproductions) and bound/rebound volumes; original newsstand issues with correct date and intact spine/edges are the collectible firsts.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Weird Tales (pulp magazine)* by various (ed. Farnsworth Wright et al.) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/weird-tales-pulp-magazine
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.