# Is "Demon Seed" by Dean Koontz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Demon Seed by Dean Koontz (Bantam Books, 1973) is identified by: True first is the 1973 Bantam mass-market paperback original; there was no hardcover first. The 1973 Bantam paperback original is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the 1973 Bantam mass-market paperback original; there was no hardcover first
- A first printing carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page
- Koontz substantially rewrote the novel for a 1997 edition, which is a distinct text and a separate first thus
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dean Koontz |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the 1973 Bantam mass-market paperback original; there was no hardcover first |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first is the 1973 Bantam mass-market paperback original; there was no hardcover first. A first printing carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Koontz substantially rewrote the novel for a 1997 edition, which is a distinct text and a separate first thus.

## Is this the true first?
The 1973 Bantam paperback original is the true first edition. The 1997 rewrite is a different work and should not be conflated with it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
There is no book club edition of the 1973 paperback original; later printings add additional printing lines to the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Demon Seed* by Dean Koontz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/demon-seed
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.