# Is "Dark Rivers of the Heart" by Dean Koontz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Dark Rivers of the Heart by Dean Koontz (Alfred A. Knopf, 1994) is identified by: The Knopf first trade edition (1994) states First Trade Edition on the copyright page rather than carrying a First Edition slug with a number line; it was printed and bound by the Haddon Craftsmen, Scranton, Pennsylvania. Knopf is the first US trade edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Knopf first trade edition
- states First Trade Edition on the copyright page rather than carrying a First Edition slug with a number line; it was printed and bound by the Haddon Craftsmen, Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Bound in quarter black cloth over black paper boards with the author's initials stamped in gilt on the front cover and gilt lettering to the spine; jacket designed by Chip Kidd, with the printed price present on a first-issue jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dean Koontz |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Knopf first trade edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The Knopf first trade edition (1994) states First Trade Edition on the copyright page rather than carrying a First Edition slug with a number line; it was printed and bound by the Haddon Craftsmen, Scranton, Pennsylvania. Bound in quarter black cloth over black paper boards with the author's initials stamped in gilt on the front cover and gilt lettering to the spine; jacket designed by Chip Kidd, with the printed price present on a first-issue jacket.

## Is this the true first?
Knopf is the first US trade edition. Charnel House issued a signed limited edition the same year (500 numbered and 26 lettered copies), which is why the Knopf states 'First Trade Edition'; a UK Headline edition also appeared in 1994.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the First Trade Edition statement and the printed price on the jacket flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Dark Rivers of the Heart* by Dean Koontz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/dark-rivers-of-the-heart
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.