# Is "Stella Maris" by Cormac McCarthy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy (Alfred A. Knopf, 2022) is identified by: Knopf, published December 6, 2022. US Knopf first edition is the true first; a near-simultaneous UK Picador edition also appeared in 2022, identified by its own imprint rather than by precedence.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf, published December 6, 2022
- The copyright page states 'First Edition' with the printer's key ending in 1 and reads 'Manufactured in Canada.' Bound in red cloth over boards with a gilt-lettered spine
- The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Chip Kidd with white lettering; the front flap carries the printed retail price (which should be present and unclipped) and the back flap bears the dating code 12/2022
- ISBN 9780307269003
- Companion to The Passenger, with which it was also issued in a signed slipcased two-volume box set
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Cormac McCarthy |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2022 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf, published December 6, 2022 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf, published December 6, 2022. The copyright page states 'First Edition' with the printer's key ending in 1 and reads 'Manufactured in Canada.' Bound in red cloth over boards with a gilt-lettered spine. The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Chip Kidd with white lettering; the front flap carries the printed retail price (which should be present and unclipped) and the back flap bears the dating code 12/2022. ISBN 9780307269003. Companion to The Passenger, with which it was also issued in a signed slipcased two-volume box set.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf first edition is the true first; a near-simultaneous UK Picador edition also appeared in 2022, identified by its own imprint rather than by precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition; identify the first by the stated 'First Edition,' the number line ending in 1, and the Chip Kidd jacket with its 12/2022 flap code.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Stella Maris* by Cormac McCarthy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/stella-maris
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.