# Is "Under the Dome" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Under the Dome by Stephen King (Scribner, 2009) is identified by: First Scribner edition, released 10 November 2009, identified by a full number line including the 1 on the copyright page and the words First Scribner Hardcover Edition. US Scribner true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Scribner edition, released 10 November 2009, identified by a full number line including the 1 on the copyright page and the words First Scribner Hardcover Edition
- Trade binding is quarter black cloth over black paper-covered boards with silver spine lettering
- The trade dust jacket is found with white spine/title lettering and, less commonly, dark gray lettering; the printed price should be present on the flap, no amount asserted here
- Scribner also issued, concurrently with the trade edition, a Collector's Edition limited to 25,000 and a Signed Edition limited to 1,500, both bound with a lettering-free jacket, a removable band bearing author and title, and printed endpapers carrying the color town map
- Publisher imprint reads Scribner
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Scribner edition, released 10 November 2009, identified by a full number line including the 1 on the copyright page and the words… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First Scribner edition, released 10 November 2009, identified by a full number line including the 1 on the copyright page and the words First Scribner Hardcover Edition. Trade binding is quarter black cloth over black paper-covered boards with silver spine lettering. The trade dust jacket is found with white spine/title lettering and, less commonly, dark gray lettering; the printed price should be present on the flap, no amount asserted here. Scribner also issued, concurrently with the trade edition, a Collector's Edition limited to 25,000 and a Signed Edition limited to 1,500, both bound with a lettering-free jacket, a removable band bearing author and title, and printed endpapers carrying the color town map.

## Is this the true first?
US Scribner true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club copies lack the number line and the printed jacket price and are printed on lighter bulk with a smaller trim than the Scribner trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Under the Dome* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/under-the-dome
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.