# Is "Christine" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Christine by Stephen King (Viking, 1983) is identified by: The copyright page states 'First published in 1983 by The Viking Press' with no number line. The US Viking trade edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The copyright page states 'First published in 1983 by The Viking Press' with no number line
- The dust jacket must retain its printed price at the top corner of the front flap (the jacket price is essentially the sole discriminator from the book-club jacket, so a price-clipped jacket cannot be confirmed as the trade first)
- The trade first printing carries no printer's gutter code within the text block
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The copyright page states 'First published in 1983 by The Viking Press' with no number line |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The copyright page states 'First published in 1983 by The Viking Press' with no number line. The dust jacket must retain its printed price at the top corner of the front flap (the jacket price is essentially the sole discriminator from the book-club jacket, so a price-clipped jacket cannot be confirmed as the trade first). The trade first printing carries no printer's gutter code within the text block.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking trade edition is the true first. A Donald M. Grant edition (1983), limited to 1,000 numbered copies signed by Stephen King and illustrator Stephen Gervais, exists as the deluxe illustrated state. The UK Hodder & Stoughton edition is the UK first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition is identified by a small blind-stamped code (dot, circle, or square) on the lower rear board, a smaller trim, thinner/lighter paper, and a printer's gutter code near the back of the text block — none of which appear in the trade first. Distinguish from the Grant limited, which is numbered, signed, slipcased, and illustrated.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Christine* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/christine
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.