# Is "Mr. X" by Peter Straub a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mr. X by Peter Straub (Random House, 1999) is identified by: Random House US first edition, published 20 July 1999. US Random House is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House US first edition, published 20 July 1999
- The copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' together with a number line beginning at 2 (2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9), which is Random House house style of the period for a true first printing rather than a full line ending in 1
- The trade dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Straub |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House US first edition, published 20 July 1999 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House US first edition, published 20 July 1999. The copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' together with a number line beginning at 2 (2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9), which is Random House house style of the period for a true first printing rather than a full line ending in 1. The trade dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the number line and the jacket flap price and may have a blind stamp on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mr. X* by Peter Straub a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mr-x
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.