# Is "A Political Fable" by Robert Coover a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Political Fable by Robert Coover (Viking Press, 1980) is identified by: First book edition; Viking number line down to 1; priced dust jacket. True first in book form is the 1980 Viking edition; the text predates it as a 1968 periodical appearance.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First book edition
- Viking number line down to 1; priced dust jacket
- Slim volume
- The text first appeared, in slightly different form, in New American Review
- as 'The Cat in the Hat for President.'
- Publisher imprint reads Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Coover |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First book edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First book edition; Viking number line down to 1; priced dust jacket. Slim volume. The text first appeared, in slightly different form, in New American Review (1968) as 'The Cat in the Hat for President.'

## Is this the true first?
True first in book form is the 1980 Viking edition; the text predates it as a 1968 periodical appearance.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable; an uncorrected proof exists and should not be confused with the first trade edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Political Fable* by Robert Coover a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-political-fable
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.