# Is "The City" by Dean Koontz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The City by Dean Koontz (Bantam, 2014) is identified by: Copyright page states First Edition with the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1. Bantam US trade hardcover is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states First Edition with the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1
- Published July 1, 2014
- ISBN 978-0-8041-7981-2
- Some copies were pre-signed for online retailers without any special markings
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dean Koontz |
| Publisher | Bantam |
| Year | 2014 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states First Edition with the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states First Edition with the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1. Published July 1, 2014; ISBN 978-0-8041-7981-2. Some copies were pre-signed for online retailers without any special markings.

## Is this the true first?
Bantam US trade hardcover is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club copies lack the copyright-page number line and the price on the jacket flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The City* by Dean Koontz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-city
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.