# Is "Winter Moon" by Dean Koontz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Winter Moon by Dean Koontz (Ballantine, 1994) is identified by: First edition is a Ballantine mass-market paperback original, not a hardcover; the copyright page states 'First American Edition: February 1994' (copies went on sale in late December 1993). The Ballantine paperback original is the true first of this text; the only hardcover is the UK Headline edition of December 1994, which followed it.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition is a Ballantine mass-market paperback original, not a hardcover; the copyright page states 'First American Edition: February 1994' (copies went on sale in late December 1993)
- An expanded rewrite of 'Invasion,' a Laser Books paperback original published in 1975 under the pen name Aaron Wolfe
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dean Koontz |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition is a Ballantine mass-market paperback original, not a hardcover; the copyright page states 'First American Edition: February… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition is a Ballantine mass-market paperback original, not a hardcover; the copyright page states 'First American Edition: February 1994' (copies went on sale in late December 1993). An expanded rewrite of 'Invasion,' a Laser Books paperback original published in 1975 under the pen name Aaron Wolfe.

## Is this the true first?
The Ballantine paperback original is the true first of this text; the only hardcover is the UK Headline edition of December 1994, which followed it. The story derives from the earlier 'Invasion' (Laser Books, 1975, as Aaron Wolfe).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book club reprint of the paperback exists; genuine firsts carry the 'First American Edition: February 1994' statement, which later printings and club copies lack.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Winter Moon* by Dean Koontz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/winter-moon
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.