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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cujo by Stephen King (Viking, 1981) is identified by: Copyright page reads 'First published in 1981 by The Viking Press' with no number line; dust jacket carries the printed price. The US Viking edition is the true first; the dedication reads 'This book is for my brother, David.' The UK Macdonald edition (1982) is the UK first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page reads 'First published in 1981 by The Viking Press' with no number line; dust jacket carries the printed price
- Bound in black quarter cloth over textured brown boards with 'SK' stamped on the front
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page reads 'First published in 1981 by The Viking Press' with no number line; dust jacket carries the printed price |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page reads 'First published in 1981 by The Viking Press' with no number line; dust jacket carries the printed price. Bound in black quarter cloth over textured brown boards with 'SK' stamped on the front.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking edition is the true first; the dedication reads 'This book is for my brother, David.' The UK Macdonald edition (1982) is the UK first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition has a blind-stamped gutter code on the rear board, is slightly smaller and lighter, and the jacket lacks a printed price. The shared publisher address misleads novices.

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