# Is "Ratner's Star" by Don DeLillo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ratner's Star by Don DeLillo (Alfred A. Knopf, 1976) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with the Knopf colophon and the publisher's number line; natural linen and paper-covered boards with blue spine lettering and blue topstain; jacket (designed by Fred Marcellino) carries the original printed price. US Knopf is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with the Knopf colophon and the publisher's number line; natural linen and paper-covered boards with blue spine lettering and blue topstain; jacket (designed by Fred Marcellino) carries the original printed price
- Dated June 1976
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Don DeLillo |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with the Knopf colophon and the publisher's number line; natural linen and paper-covered… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page with the Knopf colophon and the publisher's number line; natural linen and paper-covered boards with blue spine lettering and blue topstain; jacket (designed by Fred Marcellino) carries the original printed price. Dated June 1976.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club copies are typically smaller, lack the stated first-edition point and number line, and carry a blind stamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ratner's Star* by Don DeLillo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ratners-star
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.