# Is "The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality" by Brian Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by Brian Greene (Alfred A. Knopf, 2004) is identified by: A Borzoi Book; copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing statement, per Knopf's convention of a stated 'First Edition' rather than a number line. The US Knopf edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- A Borzoi Book; copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing statement, per Knopf's convention of a stated 'First Edition' rather than a number line
- ISBN 0-375-41288-3; illustrated; first-issue jacket carries the printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Brian Greene |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | A Borzoi Book; copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing statement, per Knopf's convention of a stated 'First Edition'… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
A Borzoi Book; copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing statement, per Knopf's convention of a stated 'First Edition' rather than a number line. ISBN 0-375-41288-3; illustrated; first-issue jacket carries the printed price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf edition is the true first. Do not confuse this title with Greene's earlier 'The Elegant Universe' (Norton, 1999), a separate book.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club hardcover of note. The chief confusion is later Knopf printings that drop the 'First Edition' statement. The stated 'First Edition' plus a printed-price jacket identify the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality* by Brian Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-fabric-of-the-cosmos-space-time-and-the-texture-of-reali
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.