With the Scarce Review Slip
Night Shift
Publication: New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1977. First Edition.
Notes: A collection of King's early stories, most from Cavalier magazine. The stories in Night Shift have proven remarkably fertile ground for film adaptations, spawning at least six Hollywood productions including Children of the Corn, Cat's Eye, and most recently, The Boogeyman. This collection brought together King's magazine work, which had helped support his family before Carrie's success.
As a collection of short stories—which don't usually sell particularly well—the print run of this book was smaller than for King's novels of the period. Estimates typically put the first printing at 10 to 20 thousand.
Mystery novelist John D. MacDonald supplied the introduction.
xxiv, 336 pages.
Edition + Condition: First edition (stated). This copy, like all stated first editions, has the code S52 on page 336. Near fine in a very good dust jacket, bumped at the top of the spine with a very short tear to the front flap fold. With a review slip laid in giving the publication date as February 17, 1978 (the uncorrected proof gave a January date, suggesting the publication slipped a couple of weeks).
Provenance: Fantasy Archives (Eric Kramer) to James Strand (1981, $250 [Strand's notes] or $350 [price in the book]); stolen in August 2023; recovered by the FBI from a storage unit in Oregon City. The review slip was separate from the book, so there are two FBI evidence tags laid in, one for each. The small Strand estate bookplate is affixed to the front pastedown.
Item No: #365579
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