# Is "Phantoms" by Dean Koontz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Phantoms by Dean Koontz (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1983) is identified by: Putnam hardcover first, identified by the printed price on the jacket front flap and the absence of any later-printing statement on the copyright page. US Putnam (1983) is the true first; the UK W.H.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Putnam hardcover first, identified by the printed price on the jacket front flap and the absence of any later-printing statement on the copyright page
- (Treat any claimed number-line state cautiously for this early-1980s Putnam title rather than as a settled point.)
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dean Koontz |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Putnam hardcover first, identified by the printed price on the jacket front flap and the absence of any later-printing statement on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Putnam hardcover first, identified by the printed price on the jacket front flap and the absence of any later-printing statement on the copyright page. (Treat any claimed number-line state cautiously for this early-1980s Putnam title rather than as a settled point.)

## Is this the true first?
US Putnam (1983) is the true first; the UK W.H. Allen edition followed in 1983.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Putnam book club edition lacks the printed jacket price and carries a blind-stamped dot to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Phantoms* by Dean Koontz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/phantoms-dean-koontz
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.