# Is "The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story" by Richard Preston a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story by Richard Preston (Random House, 1994) is identified by: Black cloth-backed boards in priced dust jacket; copyright page states 'First Edition' together with a Random House number line whose lowest number is 2 (e.g. US Random House (New York) is the true first, 1994 (published September 1994).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Black cloth-backed boards in priced dust jacket; copyright page states 'First Edition' together with a Random House number line whose lowest number is 2 (e.g
- 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2)
- Both the stated 'First Edition' and the line must be present
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Preston |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Black cloth-backed boards in priced dust jacket; copyright page states 'First Edition' together with a Random House number line whose… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Black cloth-backed boards in priced dust jacket; copyright page states 'First Edition' together with a Random House number line whose lowest number is 2 (e.g. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2). Both the stated 'First Edition' and the line must be present.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House (New York) is the true first, 1994 (published September 1994).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Per Random House practice of the period, the first printing carries the 'First Edition' statement and a number line that does NOT descend to 1 (the lowest digit is 2). A copy whose line runs to 1, or that lacks the 'First Edition' statement, is a later printing or club issue. Book-club copies also lack the priced trade jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story* by Richard Preston a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hot-zone-a-terrifying-true-story
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.