Nightmares & Dreamscapes Common
What it’s about
Stephen King's third major short fiction collection gathers more than twenty tales spanning his range, from gruesome horror to suspense, dark fantasy, and the occasional swerve into crime or quiet melancholy. Severed hands crawl with murderous purpose, the dead place phone calls, an island holds a brutal secret, and an alternate Raymond Chandler-style detective stalks a noir Los Angeles. Closing with a nonfiction essay on Little League baseball, it's a grab-bag for readers who want King at his most restless and eclectic.
Significance Sole-authored by King (1993); source of the Emmy-recognized 2006 TNT anthology series of the same name, and home to "Dolan's Cadillac," "The Night Flier," and the Castle Rock-adjacent "It Grows on You."
How to spot a true first 30-second check
A true 1st/1st needs BOTH the book and the jacket verified. A first-state jacket on a later or book-club book — or the reverse — is a married copy, not a first.
What to look for
- Confirm the copyright-page number line contains the "1" — no "1," not a first (a reset 10...2 line is a 2nd printing).
- Front flap must read "$27.50" intact — clipped removes the proof of state.
- Book-club tell: BCE jacket has NO price printed at the flap corner (not clipped — simply priceless).
- Other BCE signs: smaller trim, lighter paper, a blind-stamp on the rear board, copyright page missing the full "1" line.
- Match the jacket to the copyright page — beware a first-state $27.50 jacket married onto a BCE or later book.
- Print run was enormous (~1.5M) — prioritize fine/fine + unclipped over scarcity; watch for remainder marks and ex-library copies.
Verified listings marker-checked
Each copy screened against the seller's own photos. ✓ confirmed = a photo shows the decisive marker; ⚠ not pictured = the shot to ask for before buying. Condition grades are as-pictured.
Buyer beware — verify before you buy. These are our screening opinions, read from each seller’s own photographs; we can misjudge a copy or misread an image. A listing marked “1st/1st confirmed” is not a guarantee — independently confirm the decisive book and jacket markers with the seller before any purchase. Authentication and the buying decision remain the buyer’s responsibility.
A US Viking 1993 first printing in its unclipped, priced first-issue jacket, with both decisive tells legibly photographed; the boards beneath the jacket are never shown.
- Number line — The copyright page (photo 4) prints the full first-printing line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" with the load-bearing "1" leading it, flat and fully legible — the decisive book tell.
- Copyright — The same frame (photo 4) reads "First published in 1993 by Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc." directly above the line, with "Copyright © Stephen King, 1993 / All rights reserved" below it.
- Jacket price — The front flap (photo 2) carries the intact, unclipped price block "U.S. $27.50 / Canada $32.99" at the top corner with the "0993" code at the flap foot — the decisive jacket tell, and it rules out the priceless book-club flap.
- Dust jacket — The Rob Wood scarecrow-on-the-road art with the ampersand title is shown front-and-spine (photo 0) and again spine-on with the Viking ship at the spine foot (photo 8), and the rear panel carries the trade ISBN 0-670-85108-6 / barcode 9 780670 851089 (photo 1).
- Endpapers / edges — Both pastedowns and their free endpapers photograph as the correct blue (photos 2 and 6).
- Binding — The jacket is never removed in any of the nine frames — ask the seller for the naked book, front board and spine, so the quarter-bound blue cloth spine over black paper boards with the gilt "SK" and gilt spine lettering can be seen.
Decisive number line and unclipped $27.50 both shown — a genuine first at $19.99, fair-and-then-some despite the creased spine crown.
- Number line — Decisive tell photographed: full Viking line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 with the load-bearing 1 present — a true first printing.
- Copyright — "First published in 1993 by Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc." present and legible.
- Jacket price — $27.50 US / $32.99 Canada printed on both flaps, UNCLIPPED — rules out the priceless book-club jacket.
- Binding — Trade-first: blue cloth spine over black/grey boards, gilt SK device + gilt spine titling; no BCE tells.
- Endpapers / edges — Jacket spine head (crown) is crinkled/creased with a small crease-tear — the one value-reducer; get a sharp crown closeup.
A US Viking 1993 first printing whose copyright page enlarges to a clean first-printing line, with the front flap intact, uncut and its price block printed — though the figures themselves never resolve, and the jacket is never taken off.
- Number line — The copyright page is shot at an angle (photo 4), but it enlarges cleanly and the line resolves unambiguously as "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" with the load-bearing "1" present — the decisive book tell.
- Copyright — The same frame (photo 4) carries "First published in 1993 by Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc.", "Copyright © Stephen King, 1993", ISBN 0-670-85108-6 and "Printed in the United States of America by Arcata Graphics, Fairfield".
- Jacket price — The front flap's top corner is square and uncut with its two-line printed price block in place (photo 3), so the flap is neither clipped nor the priceless book-club flap — but the digits do not resolve at this resolution, so what is confirmed here is the block, not the figure.
- Dust jacket — The Rob Wood scarecrow art with the ampersand title is shown front-on (photo 0) and spine-on with the Viking ship at the spine foot (photo 2), and the rear panel carries the trade ISBN 0-670-85108-6 / barcode 9 780670 851089 (photo 1).
- Endpapers / edges — The front pastedown and free endpaper photograph as the correct blue (photo 3), and the fore-, top- and bottom-edges of the block are shown plain and unstained (photos 5, 6 and 7).
- Jacket price (legible figure) — The price block is in frame but its digits blur out — ask for a straight-on close-up of the top inch of the front flap so "U.S. $27.50" can actually be read rather than inferred.
- Binding — No frame takes the jacket off — ask for the front board and spine bare, showing the blue cloth spine, black paper boards and the gilt "SK" on the front board.
A US Viking 1993 first printing documented about as well as a photograph set can manage — a flat, sharp copyright page and an unclipped, legible $27.50 first-issue flap — with the naked binding the only thing never shown.
- Number line — A flat, fully legible copyright page (photo 8) prints "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" with the load-bearing "1" leading — the decisive book tell, beyond argument.
- Copyright — The same page (photo 8) reads "First published in 1993 by Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc.", "Copyright © Stephen King, 1993", ISBN 0-670-85108-6 and "Printed in the United States of America by Arcata Graphics, Fairfield", with the Viking-ship title page shown separately (photo 7).
- Jacket price — The front flap (photo 5) prints "U.S. $27.50 / Canada $32.99" at the top corner, unclipped and sharply legible, with "0993" at the flap foot — the decisive jacket tell.
- Dust jacket — The Rob Wood scarecrow art and ampersand title (photo 1), the Viking ship at the spine foot (photo 2) and the rear trade ISBN 0-670-85108-6 / barcode 9 780670 851089 (photo 3) are all shown.
- Endpapers / edges — The blue free endpaper and pastedown are open to the camera (photos 5 and 6), and the text-block edges photograph plain and unstained (photo 4).
- Binding — The jacket is never taken off — only a sliver of the blue cloth spine peeks out at the spine foot (photo 2) — so ask for a jacket-off shot of the front board and spine to see the gilt "SK" on black paper boards and the gilt spine lettering.
Number line settles a true first in NF/NF; only the $27.50 price corner is unshot — at $24.99 it's at or under fair value.
- Number line — Decisive tell legible (photo 8): 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 with the load-bearing 1 — settles a true first.
- Copyright — "First published in 1993 by Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc." shown.
- Binding — Trade-first: black boards with gilt SK monogram + powder-blue cloth quarter-spine, gilt titling; no BCE tells.
- Dust jacket — First-issue Rob Wood scarecrow art, Viking ship colophon, Neil Stuart design — correct trade jacket.
- Jacket price — Price corner of the front flap not legibly photographed — ask for a clear $27.50 shot to confirm unclipped (edition not in doubt).
No real photos — verdict rests on a reputable dealer's word; needs a copyright-page shot of the number line before it's confirmed.
- Number line — DECISIVE tell unverified — no seller photos exist, only the stock ISBN catalog image. Ask for a copyright-page shot showing the leading 1.
- Copyright — Viking Penguin 1993 statement not photographed — "first printing" is the seller's word (Grendel Books, reputable), not proof.
- Jacket price — $27.50 US flap price asserted by seller but not pictured — request a flap photo to confirm intact and unclipped.
No readable photos and a $27.95-vs-$27.50 price mismatch in the text — UNCERTAIN; nothing buyable until the seller sends the copyright page.
- Number line — DECISIVE tell never photographed — seller's text claims the full line incl. the 1, but no readable seller photo exists. Demand the copyright page.
- Copyright — Viking Penguin 1993 statement not pictured; only the generic ISBN stock thumbnail resolves — proves nothing about this copy.
- Jacket price — Seller text says $27.95 (spec is $27.50) — price discrepancy unresolved without a flap photo.
- Endpapers / edges — Slight spine crease and a small closed jacket tear are claimed in text only — ask for closeups to confirm the VG/VG grade.
Full identification detail & sourcescopyright · jacket · binding · book-club traps · print run · value · references
The US Viking trade hardcover (1993) is the true first edition, first printing. There was NO official US publisher's signed/limited/numbered edition. The only contemporaneous "limited" issue was the UK Hodder & Stoughton signed slipcased edition (1 of approx. 2,000; King signature via FACSIMILE bookplate, not a true autograph; green cloth + matching green cloth slipcase) — a separate UK printing, not the true first and not a US point. Any US "slipcased signed" copies in the trade carry DEALER-ADDED custom slipcases, not a publisher limitation. The US first ran a very large trade printing (reported approx. 1,500,000 copies per stephenkingcollector.com), so true firsts are common and inexpensive relative to King's Doubleday-era titles.
First-printing points at a glance
Dust jacket
Front: Rob Wood painting of a solitary scarecrow on a deserted road wearing a Castle Rock Rockets shirt, with author name and title in large type. Spine continues the publisher trade design with gilt lettering; rear panel/flaps carry blurbs, book description, and author photo (author-photo credit UNVERIFIED). Title appears as "Nightmares & Dreamscapes" (ampersand) on the jacket.
Art / design: Jacket illustration by Rob Wood (a lone scarecrow standing in the middle of a road wearing a "Castle Rock Rockets" shirt). Jacket designer attribution and author-photo credit: UNVERIFIED.
Also watch for: (1) Book club copies mis-sold as firsts — check for NO price on the front flap, smaller trim, lighter paper, rear-board blind-stamp, and a copyright page lacking the full number line with the "1." (2) Married jackets — a first-state $27.50 jacket placed on a later-printing or BCE book; ALWAYS match the jacket to the number line on the copyright page. (3) Price-clipped jackets — a true first must show "$27.50" intact; a clipped flap removes proof of state. (4) Ex-library copies (stamps, pockets, spine labels). (5) Remainder marks on the bottom text-block edge — devalue. (6) Facsimile/reproduction jackets. (7) UK Hodder edition (or UK trade) sold as the US true first. Because the print run was enormous (approx. 1.5M), prioritize condition (fine/fine, unclipped) over scarcity — comparatively common firsts.
Print run & scarcity
The 1.5-million-copy first printing is the defining fact of this title's market: King was at the absolute peak of his commercial fame in 1993, and Viking printed accordingly. That enormous run is precisely why a true unsigned first is near-ubiquitous and inexpensive — scarcity (and therefore value) lives almost entirely in SIGNED copies and in pristine fine/fine condition, not in the 'first edition' status itself. Figure is consistently reported as 1,500,000; treat as a strong trade/collector consensus number rather than a publisher-certified statement of account.
First-state points & errata
No widely-cited textual errata or first-state-vs-later-state typo points are documented for this title. The US first is identified by the intact full number line containing the "1" plus the $27.50 jacket price; no known internal text-change state or errata.
Limited & signed editions
No official US Viking signed/numbered/traycased limited edition. UK: Hodder & Stoughton 1993 signed limited — 1 of approx. 2,000; green cloth, FACSIMILE King signature on a bookplate affixed to the half-title (not a true autograph), housed in a matching green cloth slipcase (a separate UK issue). Any US "slipcased signed" copies in the market are author-signed trade firsts in dealer-made slipcases, not a publisher limitation.
Market value estimate
~$25–$60
Assumes a genuine first edition / first printing in near-fine to fine condition (clean copy, unclipped jacket). Lesser condition is worth less.
Sale evidence no verified realized price: Unsigned fine/fine trade firsts: routinely change hands $25–60 on eBay SOLD and AbeBooks/Biblio (stephenkingcollector.com pegs the unsigned first at $10–15 in lesser grade, ~2023). SIGNED first/first (King signature on title page): a Near Fine+/Very Fine signed copy w/ custom slipcase + COA offered at $1,395 (VeryFineBooks, current). Signed-and-inscribed first w/ case actively listed/transacting on eBay in the ~$700–1,200 band (2024–2025). NOTE: no formal Heritage/PBA auction comp located — this title's unsigned firsts are too common to reach those houses; signed figures are dealer/eBay-sourced, not fabricated auction records.
No confirmed sale found, so this is rated at no less than its original jacket price — a true first/first should hold at least retail in near-fine/fine condition. Soft estimate from dealer listings (treat as approximate): $25–60
Book-club edition (the trap): $5–15. The BOMC/book-club edition uses the SAME quarter-blue-cloth / black-board binding as the trade first, so binding is NOT the tell. It is worthless as a "first" and is the single most-mislisted trap for this title. — a fraction of a true first; never pay first-edition money for one.
[Audit-corrected from $30-75: value is for a genuine UNSIGNED trade first in fine/fine; signed/limited copies excluded.] Condition is everything because the book is abundant — only crisp fine/fine, unclipped copies command the top of the unsigned range; any clip, fade, or bumping drops it to single digits. Signed copies are the ONLY meaningful money (10–40x the unsigned price); King-signed firsts of this title are genuinely scarce, and an in-person inscription (e.g., the Dec 15 1993 BookMarc's Bangor signings) plus COA pushes toward $1,000–1,400. THE #1 DISCRIMINATOR FOR THIS TITLE: it is a Viking book, NOT a Doubleday book — ignore any 'Doubleday gutter code' point (that's a generic template trap and does not apply). A genuine first requires ALL of: (1) '$27.50' present and UNCLIPPED on the front jacket flap, (2) 'First published in 1993 by Viking Penguin' on the copyright page, (3) full number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' (ending in 2), and (4) NO BOMC blind-stamp/dot on the rear board and a priced (not blank) jacket. A clipped jacket, a blank/BCE jacket, or the blind-stamp instantly disqualifies it regardless of how the seller listed it.
- https://www.stephenkingcollector.com/1st/nightmares.html
- https://veryfinebooks.com/stephen-king-nightmares-dreamscapes-signed-first-edition-printing-1st/
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/197630299928
- https://stephenking.com/other/identifying_first_editions.pdf
- https://www.lwcurrey.com/pages/books/128902/stephen-king/nightmares-dreamscapes
- https://www.stephenkingcollector.com/1st/nightmares.html
- https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/nightmares-dreamscapes/author/stephen-king/first-edition/
- https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Nightmares-Dreamscapes-First-Edition-Stephen-King/30910342641/bd
Sources
- https://www.stephenkingcollector.com/1st/nightmares.html
- https://www.mementomoribooks.com/pages/books/1276/stephen-king/nightmares-and-dreamscapes
- https://www.eveningstarbooks.net/pages/books/000011091/stephen-king/nightmares-dreamscapes
- https://veryfinebooks.com/stephen-king-nightmares-dreamscapes-signed-first-edition-printing-1st/
- https://johnatkinsonbooks.co.uk/book/stephen-king-nightmares-and-dreamscapes-first-us-edition-1993/
- https://www.lwcurrey.com/pages/books/128902/stephen-king/nightmares-dreamscapes
- https://www.biblio.com/book/nightmares-dreamscapes-stephen-king/d/780597264
- https://www.rarebookcellar.com/pages/books/128526/stephen-king/nightmares-dreamscapes
- https://www.carpetbaggerbooks.com/pages/books/12226/stephen-king/nightmares-and-dreamscapes
- https://www.minotavrosbooks.com/pages/books/007871/stephen-king/nightmares-dreamscapes
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightmares_%26_Dreamscapes
- https://www.firstandfine.com/product/king-stephen-1993-nightmares-and-dreamscapes-uk-facsimile-signed-limited-edition/
- https://johnatkinsonbooks.co.uk/book/stephen-king-nightmares-and-dreamscapes-limited-edition-1993/
- https://www.stephenkingcollector.com/1st/nightmares.html
- https://johnatkinsonbooks.co.uk/book/stephen-king-nightmares-and-dreamscapes-first-us-edition-1993/
- https://grokipedia.com/page/Nightmares_&_Dreamscapes
Verification notes: VERIFIED across the canonical stephenkingcollector.com reference + multiple independent dealers. (1) Number line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" and "First published in 1993 by Viking Penguin" statement: confirmed by stephenkingcollector.com (NEW independent source, not in original sources[]) and dealer listings. (2) Jacket price $27.50 on front flap: confirmed widely. (3) Binding (quarter blue cloth spine over black paper boards, gilt initials): confirmed. (4) ENDPAPERS corrected from UNVERIFIED to BLUE endpapers and pastedowns — confirmed across biblio/minotavrosbooks/dealer syntheses. (5) LATER-PRINTING number line refined: a rarebookcellar second-printing listing (NEW independent source) shows "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2" — i.e., later printings do not merely drop the 1 from the original sequence; the durable rule is presence of the "1." (6) VALUE corrected/widened DOWN: stephenkingcollector.com lists unsigned firsts at ~$10-15 (reading-copy), below the draft's $40-125 floor; large 1.5M print run makes firsts common. (7) "0993" jacket code DOWNGRADED to UNVERIFIED — no source confirms it; removed as a stated first-issue point. (8) BCE tell confirmed: NO price at top of front flap (Carpetbagger BMC listing) is the primary distinguisher; blind-stamp is standard BMC practice but not source-specific. NOT independently verified: topstain color, jacket designer, author-photo credit, the "0993" code.