# Is "Hocus Pocus" by Kurt Vonnegut a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1990) is identified by: Full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (ending in 1) indicates the first printing; priced trade dust jacket. True first is the 1990 G.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (ending in 1) indicates the first printing; priced trade dust jacket
- A signed/numbered limited slipcased issue of 250 copies was produced, and the Franklin Library issued a signed deluxe edition with a Special Message by Vonnegut
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kurt Vonnegut |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (ending in 1) indicates the first printing; priced trade dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (ending in 1) indicates the first printing; priced trade dust jacket. A signed/numbered limited slipcased issue of 250 copies was produced, and the Franklin Library issued a signed deluxe edition with a Special Message by Vonnegut.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1990 G. P. Putnam's Sons trade edition, identified by the complete number line ending in 1. UK: Jonathan Cape, 1990.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the full number line and the priced jacket; identify the first by the complete 1-10 number line and an unclipped priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hocus Pocus* by Kurt Vonnegut a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hocus-pocus
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.