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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Phantoms by Dean R. Koontz (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1983) is identified by: This earlier-era Putnam title is identified from the dust jacket rather than a copyright-page number line: the lower front jacket flap bears the date code "8303," the front flap carries the printed retail price, and the rear jacket shows the ISBN 0-399-12655-4 in a white rectangle. US Putnam is the true first; W.H.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- This earlier-era Putnam title is identified from the dust jacket rather than a copyright-page number line: the lower front jacket flap bears the date code "8303," the front flap carries the printed retail price, and the rear jacket shows the ISBN 0-399-12655-4 in a white rectangle
- A copyright-page number line is not the identifying point for this 1983 printing
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dean R. Koontz |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | This earlier-era Putnam title is identified from the dust jacket rather than a copyright-page number line: the lower front jacket flap… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
This earlier-era Putnam title is identified from the dust jacket rather than a copyright-page number line: the lower front jacket flap bears the date code "8303," the front flap carries the printed retail price, and the rear jacket shows the ISBN 0-399-12655-4 in a white rectangle. A copyright-page number line is not the identifying point for this 1983 printing.

## Is this the true first?
US Putnam is the true first; W.H. Allen issued the UK first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book club edition has an unpriced jacket lacking the '8303' date code, a blind gutter-code stamp, and lighter boards, though the copyright-page imprint line can read identically — rely on the jacket date code and price.

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