# Is "Houses Without Doors" by Peter Straub a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Houses Without Doors by Peter Straub (Dutton, 1990) is identified by: Dutton US first edition, 1990 (ISBN 0-525-24924-9); first printing has a full number line on the copyright page. US Dutton true first; the UK edition (Collins) followed later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Dutton US first edition, 1990 (ISBN 0-525-24924-9); first printing has a full number line on the copyright page
- Bound in cloth-backed boards and issued in a first-issue pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed front-flap price
- A collection of thirteen pieces of psychological horror and dark fiction, including the Blue Rose-cycle tales Blue Rose and The Juniper Tree along with Mrs
- God; the volume drew World Fantasy and Bram Stoker Award recognition
- Publisher imprint reads Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Straub |
| Publisher | Dutton |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Dutton US first edition, 1990 (ISBN 0-525-24924-9); first printing has a full number line on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Dutton US first edition, 1990 (ISBN 0-525-24924-9); first printing has a full number line on the copyright page. Bound in cloth-backed boards and issued in a first-issue pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed front-flap price. A collection of thirteen pieces of psychological horror and dark fiction, including the Blue Rose-cycle tales Blue Rose and The Juniper Tree along with Mrs. God; the volume drew World Fantasy and Bram Stoker Award recognition.

## Is this the true first?
US Dutton true first; the UK edition (Collins) followed later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club printings follow the Dutton first and typically lack the full number line and the flap price; the priced first-issue jacket over cloth-backed boards distinguishes the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Houses Without Doors* by Peter Straub a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/houses-without-doors
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.