# Examples of Special Editions/Director's Cuts/Final Editions etc. but in literature **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 24, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917 "2020-01-24T20:24:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/1 "2020-01-24T20:24:38Z")
Could you provide some notorious instances where author/publisher went back and fixed some plot holes, expanded the story, I mean basically changed in a significant way an already released and popular book? ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/2 "2020-01-24T20:28:13Z")
A Clockwork Orange comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/3 "2020-01-24T20:33:00Z")
Stephen King released an an unabridged edition of _The Stand_ in 1990, billed as “The Complete and Uncut Edition”. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/4 "2020-01-24T20:33:36Z")
Tolkien went back and changed a couple of details in _The Hobbit_, to make it more consistent with _The Lord of the Rings_. The justification was that the previous account was according to Bilbo, and he whitewashed a couple of points in his favor, but that “new evidence” had uncovered “the truth”. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/5 "2020-01-24T20:33:13Z")
Really? I admit I’ve only watched the movie, but never heard about the book being changed… EDIT: Was referring to Clockwork Orange, should’ve quoted, sorry… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/6 "2020-01-24T20:35:03Z")
Oh, just remembered another one: Heinlein’s _Stranger in a Strange Land_ was first published in a highly condensed version, but then once he had enough clout, he went back and re-published it in its original, longer form. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/7 "2020-01-24T20:38:06Z")
J.R.R. Tolkien made some revisions to [_The Hobbit_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit#Revisions) (particularly in the riddle scene between Bilbo and Gollum), which were incorporated into the second edition (1951). He later made further revisions, which went into the third edition (1966), to bring the story better into line with _The Lord of the Rings_, and the then-still-unpublished _Silmarillion_. Edit: ninja’d by Chronos. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/8 "2020-01-24T20:38:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Oh, just remembered another one: Heinlein’s _Stranger in a Strange Land_ was first published in a highly condensed version, but then once he had enough clout, he went back and re-published it in its original, longer form. So “radio edit” but of a book? ---
**Author:** ![Rough\_Draft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rough\_Draft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rough_Draft)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/9 "2020-01-24T20:39:12Z")
I seem to remember hearing that Walt Whitman continually revised _Leaves of Grass_ right up until his death. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/10 "2020-01-24T20:43:33Z")
And, speaking of Tolkien, [_The Lord of the Rings_ has also experienced a number of revisions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings#Editions_and_revisions) over the years, originally by the Professor himself, then led by his son Christopher after the elder Tolkien’s death. Though, most of those revisions appear to be small, and ironing out inconsistencies in the stories (and inconsistencies between different editions). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/11 "2020-01-24T20:49:42Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > Really? I admit I’ve only watched the movie, but never heard about the book being changed… > > EDIT: Was referring to Clockwork Orange, should’ve quoted, sorry… The original US edition left off a chapter at the end. It’s arguable as to whether that was a good or a bad thing. Theodore Dreiser’s _Sister Carrie_ was considered too sordid in its original form and that edition was not published until 1981. I took a literature course a few years later. I had that edition; most of the class had the older one. The endings were different, which created confusion (I’m thinking, “that didn’t happen” when people discussed it). David Gerrold released _When Harlie Was One_ in 1972, then _When Harlie Was One (Release 2.0)_ in 1988, updating some of the obsolete technology. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/12 "2020-01-24T20:58:10Z")
In H. Rider Haggard’s _King Solomon’s Mines_, there is a subplot involving a solar eclipse. Someone pointed out that there had not been, and was not going to be, any solar eclipse visible in southern Africa for many years before or after the time the story was set. So Haggard re-wrote it, changing the scene from day to night, and using a lunar eclipse. If you decide to read it, make sure you get an edition that has both versions. My copy has the original version in the main text, with the revisions in footnotes. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/13 "2020-01-24T21:00:07Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > Really? I admit I’ve only watched the movie, but never heard about the book being changed… > > EDIT: Was referring to Clockwork Orange, should’ve quoted, sorry… When the book was first published in the US (until 1986), the last (21st) chapter where Alex repents and gives up his old life was omitted. Kubrik based his film off of the American version, and he and others (including the original American editor) feel that the final chapter isn’t believable and doesn’t fit with the other 20 chapters. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/14 "2020-01-24T21:14:28Z")
For some science fiction: Ringworld by Larry Niven originally had a character teleporting east around the world to extend his birthday, which is actually backwards. Later editions corrected this. The Lensman series be EE Doc Smith was originally published as a series of episodes in SF magazines, then later that was edited into novels. The story Triplanetary was originally independent, then was edited to be part of the Lensman series, then some of the chronology of the main series was changed so that they all fit better. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/15 "2020-01-24T22:25:59Z")
No mention of \*Great Expectations \*yet? Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/16 "2020-01-24T22:32:01Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > No mention of \*Great Expectations \*yet? Sigh. Beat me by five minutes because I was looking for the[cite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations#Revised_ending). Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/17 "2020-01-24T23:17:45Z")
James Joyce is probably still making corrections and emendations to his books. I’m positive he wouldn’t let the mere fact that he’s dead stop him. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/18 "2020-01-25T00:33:57Z")
John Fowles’ **The Magus** was , published in 1965, after he’d spent twelve years on it. Not satisfied with it, he continued working on it, and issued a much revised version in 1977. Arthur C. Clarke’s **The City and the Stars** (1956) is a reworking of his **Against the Fall of Night** (1951, 1953). Mark Twain’s novel **The Mysterious Stranger** was never really finished to his satisfaction. It exists in three versions. The version you’ve probably read was cobbled together from two of those existing version, but not by Twain. They finally published all three of them in a single volume several years ago. So no “Director’s Cut” edition exists. Similarly, three volumes claiming to be “Mark Twain’s Autobiography” were published in the hundred years after his death, but none of them really is. They were cobbled together from excerpts from his _real_ autobiography. The TRUE **Autobiography of Mark Twain** was published in three volumes, beginning in 2010, the centennial of his death (as he’d intended). That is arguably the “Director’s Cut”, although Twain himself didn’t edit it, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/19 "2020-01-25T00:39:48Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > For some science fiction: > Ringworld by Larry Niven originally had a character teleporting east around the world to extend his birthday, which is actually backwards. Later editions corrected this. Yes, but this was just revising some geography. It wasn’t a Director’s Cut type thing because Niven didn’t do anything that a decent copy editor would have done. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917/20 "2020-01-25T00:42:43Z")
Missed the edit window: Director’s Cut is more like Larry and Jerry publishing big hunks of _The Mote in God’s Eye_ as separate short novellas rather than include them in the book. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-special-editions-directors-cuts-final-editions-etc-but-in-literature/846917.md?page=2)