# Is "By the Light of the Moon" by Dean Koontz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz (Bantam, 2002) is identified by: Bantam hardcover, December 2002. The UK Headline edition (November 2002) preceded the Bantam by about seven weeks; the Bantam is the true first US edition and the standard collected first for this US author.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam hardcover, December 2002
- Copyright page states A Bantam Book / December 2002 with a full number line ending in 1
- First printing runs 431 pages; boards are green, though some copies printed more blue
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dean Koontz |
| Publisher | Bantam |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam hardcover, December 2002 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bantam hardcover, December 2002. Copyright page states A Bantam Book / December 2002 with a full number line ending in 1. First printing runs 431 pages; boards are green, though some copies printed more blue.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Headline edition (November 2002) preceded the Bantam by about seven weeks; the Bantam is the true first US edition and the standard collected first for this US author.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book club edition shares the trade ISBN but carries a book club identification number and lacks a jacket price; not a first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *By the Light of the Moon* by Dean Koontz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/by-the-light-of-the-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.