# Is "The God of Hell" by Sam Shepard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The God of Hell by Sam Shepard (Vintage Books, 2005) is identified by: Vintage trade paperback original, published 12 April 2005 (ISBN 1-400-09651-0 / 9781400096510), with 'A Vintage Original' stated on the copyright page. The US Vintage paperback original (12 April 2005) is the first book appearance and precedes the UK Methuen Drama edition (ISBN 9780413775665), published 20 October 2005 to coincide with the play's European premiere at the Donmar Warehouse.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Vintage trade paperback original, published 12 April 2005 (ISBN 1-400-09651-0 / 9781400096510), with 'A Vintage Original' stated on the copyright page
- There was no prior US hardcover; the paperback original is the first US book appearance of the play
- Publisher imprint reads Vintage Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sam Shepard |
| Publisher | Vintage Books |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Vintage trade paperback original, published 12 April 2005 (ISBN 1-400-09651-0 / 9781400096510), with 'A Vintage Original' stated on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Vintage trade paperback original, published 12 April 2005 (ISBN 1-400-09651-0 / 9781400096510), with 'A Vintage Original' stated on the copyright page. There was no prior US hardcover; the paperback original is the first US book appearance of the play.

## Is this the true first?
The US Vintage paperback original (12 April 2005) is the first book appearance and precedes the UK Methuen Drama edition (ISBN 9780413775665), published 20 October 2005 to coincide with the play's European premiere at the Donmar Warehouse. The Vintage printing therefore holds precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; issued as a paperback original.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The God of Hell* by Sam Shepard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-god-of-hell
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.