# Is "Murmurs of Earth: The Voyager Interstellar Record" by Carl Sagan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Murmurs of Earth: The Voyager Interstellar Record by Carl Sagan (Random House, 1978) is identified by: Random House first printing states 'First Edition' with a number line that begins at 2 (2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9), the standard Random House first-printing marker of this period; the price is intact on the front jacket flap. US true first, published by Random House on October 12, 1978.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House first printing states 'First Edition' with a number line that begins at 2 (2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9), the standard Random House first-printing marker of this period; the price is intact on the front jacket flap
- Quarto, illustrated
- Co-authored with Frank Drake, Ann Druyan, Timothy Ferris, Jon Lomberg, and Linda Salzman Sagan
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Carl Sagan |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House first printing states 'First Edition' with a number line that begins at 2 (2… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House first printing states 'First Edition' with a number line that begins at 2 (2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9), the standard Random House first-printing marker of this period; the price is intact on the front jacket flap. Quarto, illustrated. Co-authored with Frank Drake, Ann Druyan, Timothy Ferris, Jon Lomberg, and Linda Salzman Sagan.

## Is this the true first?
US true first, published by Random House on October 12, 1978.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club reprints lack the jacket price and typically the 'First Edition' statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Murmurs of Earth: The Voyager Interstellar Record* by Carl Sagan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/murmurs-of-earth-the-voyager-interstellar-record
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.