# Is "Hollywood Nocturnes (a.k.a. Dick Contino's Blues)" by James Ellroy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hollywood Nocturnes (a.k.a. Dick Contino's Blues) by James Ellroy (Otto Penzler Books, 1994) is identified by: First hardcover, published under the Otto Penzler Books imprint in New York in 1994 (ISBN 1-883402-54-9). The US Otto Penzler Books first edition of 1994 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First hardcover, published under the Otto Penzler Books imprint in New York in 1994 (ISBN 1-883402-54-9)
- Stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page with the complete descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
- Octavo of 229 pages in cloth-backed boards; the first-issue dust jacket should retain the publisher's original front-flap price
- The volume collects the novella 'Dick Contino's Blues' together with additional shorter pieces
- Publisher imprint reads Otto Penzler Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ellroy |
| Publisher | Otto Penzler Books |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First hardcover, published under the Otto Penzler Books imprint in New York in 1994 (ISBN 1-883402-54-9) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First hardcover, published under the Otto Penzler Books imprint in New York in 1994 (ISBN 1-883402-54-9). Stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page with the complete descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Octavo of 229 pages in cloth-backed boards; the first-issue dust jacket should retain the publisher's original front-flap price. The volume collects the novella 'Dick Contino's Blues' together with additional shorter pieces.

## Is this the true first?
The US Otto Penzler Books first edition of 1994 is the true first. The UK Century edition appeared under the title 'Dick Contino's Blues and Other Stories,' a first-thus retitling rather than a competing true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book club edition is recorded. The UK title change is a first-thus retitling, not a separate true first; a first-issue copy shows the full number line ending in 1 and the printed jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hollywood Nocturnes (a.k.a. Dick Contino's Blues)* by James Ellroy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hollywood-nocturnes-aka-dick-continos-blues
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.