# Is "Comet" by Carl Sagan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Comet by Carl Sagan (Random House, 1985) is identified by: Random House first printing states 'First Edition' with a number line beginning at 2 (2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9), the Random House first-printing marker; the price is present on the front jacket flap. US true first, published by Random House in 1985.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House first printing states 'First Edition' with a number line beginning at 2 (2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9), the Random House first-printing marker; the price is present on the front jacket flap
- Quarto, illustrated endpapers and jacket
- Co-authored with Ann Druyan
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Carl Sagan |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House first printing states 'First Edition' with a number line beginning at 2 (2 3… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House first printing states 'First Edition' with a number line beginning at 2 (2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9), the Random House first-printing marker; the price is present on the front jacket flap. Quarto, illustrated endpapers and jacket. Co-authored with Ann Druyan.

## Is this the true first?
US true first, published by Random House in 1985.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club reprints omit the jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Comet* by Carl Sagan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/comet
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.