# Is "Missing Time" by Budd Hopkins a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Missing Time by Budd Hopkins (Richard Marek, 1981) is identified by: Richard Marek Publishers hardcover, first edition, first printing, 1981 (ISBN 0-399-90102-7). The 1981 Richard Marek Publishers hardcover, first printing, is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Richard Marek Publishers hardcover, first edition, first printing, 1981 (ISBN 0-399-90102-7)
- Bound in black cloth boards
- The first-issue dust jacket should carry the printed price on the front flap; an unclipped jacket retains it
- A landmark study of reported UFO abductions
- Publisher imprint reads Richard Marek
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Budd Hopkins |
| Publisher | Richard Marek |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Richard Marek Publishers hardcover, first edition, first printing, 1981 (ISBN 0-399-90102-7) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Richard Marek Publishers hardcover, first edition, first printing, 1981 (ISBN 0-399-90102-7). Bound in black cloth boards. The first-issue dust jacket should carry the printed price on the front flap; an unclipped jacket retains it. A landmark study of reported UFO abductions.

## Is this the true first?
The 1981 Richard Marek Publishers hardcover, first printing, is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions and later printings reprint the text but are not the first edition and are far less collectible. Use the points above to be certain — see book-club edition vs. first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Missing Time* by Budd Hopkins a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/missing-time
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.