# Is "The Moon Is Down" by John Steinbeck a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck (The Viking Press, New York, 1942) is identified by: First edition, first printing, first issue: copyright page reads 'First published in March 1942' with NO printer's imprint, and on page 112, line 11, the period between the words 'talk' and 'this' is noticeably larger than the other periods in the book. True US first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition of 1942.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, first issue: copyright page reads 'First published in March 1942' with NO printer's imprint, and on page 112, line 11, the period between the words 'talk' and 'this' is noticeably larger than the other periods in the book
- Bound in blue cloth, spine stamped in silver, front cover blind-stamped
- First-issue dust jacket is priced and reads 'The Moon Is Down' at the top of the flap
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Steinbeck |
| Publisher | The Viking Press, New York |
| Year | 1942 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, first issue: copyright page reads 'First published in March 1942' with NO printer's imprint, and on page… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, first issue: copyright page reads 'First published in March 1942' with NO printer's imprint, and on page 112, line 11, the period between the words 'talk' and 'this' is noticeably larger than the other periods in the book. Bound in blue cloth, spine stamped in silver, front cover blind-stamped. First-issue dust jacket is priced and reads 'The Moon Is Down' at the top of the flap.

## Is this the true first?
True US first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition of 1942.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions show Haddon Craftsmen or Kingsport Press on the copyright page, lack the enlarged-period point, and come in an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Moon Is Down* by John Steinbeck a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-moon-is-down
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.