# Is "The Mask" by Owen West (Dean Koontz) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Mask by Owen West (Dean Koontz) (Jove, 1981) is identified by: Jove paperback original as by Owen West; copyright page states First Jove edition published November 1981 and First printing. Paperback original under the Owen West pseudonym.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Jove paperback original as by Owen West; copyright page states First Jove edition published November 1981 and First printing
- A full-page advertisement for The Funhouse (also as by Owen West) appears at the rear
- Later reissued under Koontz's own name
- Publisher imprint reads Jove
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Owen West (Dean Koontz) |
| Publisher | Jove |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Jove paperback original as by Owen West; copyright page states First Jove edition published November 1981 and First printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Jove paperback original as by Owen West; copyright page states First Jove edition published November 1981 and First printing. A full-page advertisement for The Funhouse (also as by Owen West) appears at the rear. Later reissued under Koontz's own name.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original under the Owen West pseudonym.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
N/A (paperback original).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Mask* by Owen West (Dean Koontz) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-mask
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.