# Is "Amnesia Moon" by Jonathan Lethem a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem (Harcourt Brace & Company, 1995) is identified by: Lethem's second novel, Harcourt Brace & Company, New York, 1995. The US Harcourt Brace 1995 hardcover is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Lethem's second novel, Harcourt Brace & Company, New York, 1995
- The copyright page states 'First edition' with Harcourt's descending letter line terminating in 'A'
- Issued as a hardcover original in cloth-backed boards (black cloth, green boards, white spine lettering), in the original price-bearing, unclipped dust jacket; confirm the 'A' line and the flap price together
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Lethem |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace & Company |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Lethem's second novel, Harcourt Brace & Company, New York, 1995 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Lethem's second novel, Harcourt Brace & Company, New York, 1995. The copyright page states 'First edition' with Harcourt's descending letter line terminating in 'A'. Issued as a hardcover original in cloth-backed boards (black cloth, green boards, white spine lettering), in the original price-bearing, unclipped dust jacket; confirm the 'A' line and the flap price together.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harcourt Brace 1995 hardcover is the true first. The Tor edition of 1996 is a later issue with new cover art, not the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No widely noted book club edition; later trade and mass-market reprints lack the letter line and the 'First edition' statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Amnesia Moon* by Jonathan Lethem a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/amnesia-moon
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.