# Is "The Hunter (Parker #1)" by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hunter (Parker #1) by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) (Pocket Books, 1962) is identified by: Pocket Books mass-market paperback original, first printing, with cover art by Harry Bennett. A paperback original, so the first Pocket Books printing (printed December 1962) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pocket Books mass-market paperback original, first printing, with cover art by Harry Bennett
- The copyright page states the book was printed December 1962 (it reached distribution early 1963, the source of some dating confusion)
- The first Parker novel and the debut of the Richard Stark pseudonym; the basis for the films Point Blank and Payback
- Publisher imprint reads Pocket Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) |
| Publisher | Pocket Books |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Pocket Books mass-market paperback original, first printing, with cover art by Harry Bennett |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Pocket Books mass-market paperback original, first printing, with cover art by Harry Bennett. The copyright page states the book was printed December 1962 (it reached distribution early 1963, the source of some dating confusion). The first Parker novel and the debut of the Richard Stark pseudonym; the basis for the films Point Blank and Payback.

## Is this the true first?
A paperback original, so the first Pocket Books printing (printed December 1962) is the true first. The 1963 Permabook reissue was printed from new plates, and later Allison & Busby and Gregg Press hardcovers are all later reprints (later-thus).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book-club title. Later Pocket printings note additional printings on the copyright page; the Permabook reissue and the various hardcover reissues are all later editions.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hunter (Parker #1)* by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hunter-parker-1
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.