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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Strangers by Dean Koontz (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1986) is identified by: Putnam's Sons hardcover first (ISBN 0-399-13143-4), with a full number line counting down to 1 on the copyright page. US Putnam (1986) is the true first; the UK Headline edition followed in 1986.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover first (ISBN 0-399-13143-4), with a full number line counting down to 1 on the copyright page
- Bound in black quarter cloth over boards with silver gilt spine lettering and red endpapers, roughly 526 pages
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and code on the front flap and must not be a book-club facsimile
- Koontz's breakthrough hardcover bestseller
- 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 | 1986 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover first (ISBN 0-399-13143-4), with a full number line counting down to 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover first (ISBN 0-399-13143-4), with a full number line counting down to 1 on the copyright page. Bound in black quarter cloth over boards with silver gilt spine lettering and red endpapers, roughly 526 pages. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and code on the front flap and must not be a book-club facsimile. Koontz's breakthrough hardcover bestseller.

## Is this the true first?
US Putnam (1986) is the true first; the UK Headline edition followed in 1986.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Putnam book club edition lacks the printed jacket price on the front flap and carries a blind-stamped dot to the rear board; a trade first must show the full number line to 1 and the priced jacket.

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