# Is "Timequake" by Kurt Vonnegut a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1997) is identified by: First trade edition, G. True first is the 1997 G.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First trade edition, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1997
- The first printing is identified by the full number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page (a printing is denoted by the lowest digit present; a line beginning in 1 marks the first)
- The dust jacket carries art by Paul Bacon and bears the printed price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped on a first-issue jacket
- A signed limited edition was issued separately, numbered and signed by Vonnegut on the limitation page
- Some early first-printing copies are noted with speckled endpapers, reportedly preceding copies bound with plain slate-colored endpapers; the number line, not the endpapers, is the primary first-printing point
- Vonnegut's last novel
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kurt Vonnegut |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First trade edition, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1997 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First trade edition, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1997. The first printing is identified by the full number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page (a printing is denoted by the lowest digit present; a line beginning in 1 marks the first). The dust jacket carries art by Paul Bacon and bears the printed price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped on a first-issue jacket. A signed limited edition was issued separately, numbered and signed by Vonnegut on the limitation page. Some early first-printing copies are noted with speckled endpapers, reportedly preceding copies bound with plain slate-colored endpapers; the number line, not the endpapers, is the primary first-printing point. Vonnegut's last novel.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1997 G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York) trade edition, first printing identified by the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. The UK edition followed from Jonathan Cape, 1997.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Timequake* by Kurt Vonnegut a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/timequake
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.