# Is "Survival of the Fittest" by Jonathan Kellerman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Survival of the Fittest by Jonathan Kellerman (Bantam, 1997) is identified by: The words First Edition stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line that includes the 1. US Bantam hardcover is the true first; twelfth Alex Delaware novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The words First Edition stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line that includes the 1
- Bantam hardcover first printings of this period carry both the First Edition statement and a full number line down to 1
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Kellerman |
| Publisher | Bantam |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The words First Edition stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The words First Edition stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line that includes the 1. Bantam hardcover first printings of this period carry both the First Edition statement and a full number line down to 1.

## Is this the true first?
US Bantam hardcover is the true first; twelfth Alex Delaware novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club issue affecting first-edition identification.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Survival of the Fittest* by Jonathan Kellerman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/survival-of-the-fittest
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.