# Is "Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void" by Mary Roach a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach (W. W. Norton, 2010) is identified by: Norton first printing (2010) is identified by a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page; consistent with Norton practice there is no separately printed 'First Edition' statement, so the full number line ending in 1 is the point. US true first (W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- W. W. Norton first printing
- is identified by a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page; consistent with Norton practice there is no separately printed 'First Edition' statement, so the full number line ending in 1 is the point
- The book is an octavo of 334 pages in original boards; the spine is black with the lettering in orange and green
- The dust jacket was designed by Keenan and should retain its printed price on the front flap (unclipped) on a first-state jacket, the presence of the price being the flap point rather than any amount
- Publisher imprint reads W. W. Norton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mary Roach |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | W. W. Norton first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
W. W. Norton first printing (2010) is identified by a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page; consistent with Norton practice there is no separately printed 'First Edition' statement, so the full number line ending in 1 is the point. The book is an octavo of 334 pages in original boards; the spine is black with the lettering in orange and green. The dust jacket was designed by Keenan and should retain its printed price on the front flap (unclipped) on a first-state jacket, the presence of the price being the flap point rather than any amount.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (W. W. Norton, 2010).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book-club edition; the trade Norton hardcover is the collected first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void* by Mary Roach a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/packing-for-mars-the-curious-science-of-life-in-the-void
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.