# Is "The Development: Nine Stories" by John Barth a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Development: Nine Stories by John Barth (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008) is identified by: edition published 2008 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (ISBN 0547072481). True first is the 2008 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt U.S.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First U.S. edition published 2008 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (ISBN 0547072481)
- First printing carries a copyright-page number line descending to 1 per the publisher's convention; the dust jacket carries the original price
- Nine interrelated stories set in a Maryland gated community
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Barth |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First U.S. edition published 2008 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (ISBN 0547072481) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First U.S. edition published 2008 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (ISBN 0547072481). First printing carries a copyright-page number line descending to 1 per the publisher's convention; the dust jacket carries the original price. Nine interrelated stories set in a Maryland gated community.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 2008 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt U.S. edition. Verified against dealer and library records.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue is a recognized first-edition pitfall for this title. Some dealers cite the colophon as 'Houghton Mifflin Company'; the 2008 imprint name is Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Development: Nine Stories* by John Barth a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-development-nine-stories
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.