# Is "Wonder Boys" by Michael Chabon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon (Villard / Random House, 1995) is identified by: First edition, first printing published by Villard, an imprint of Random House, New York, 1995 (published March 1995). The US Villard edition (1995) is the true first; the UK Fourth Estate edition, also 1995, reads 'First published in Great Britain in 1995 by Fourth Estate' and follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing published by Villard, an imprint of Random House, New York, 1995 (published March 1995)
- The copyright page states 'First Edition' with a complete descending number line ending in 2 ('9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2')
- Bound in quarter black cloth over charcoal-grey boards with metallic red lettering to the spine
- 368 pages
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain the publisher's printed price on the front flap, unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Villard / Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael Chabon |
| Publisher | Villard / Random House |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing published by Villard, an imprint of Random House, New York, 1995 (published March 1995) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing published by Villard, an imprint of Random House, New York, 1995 (published March 1995). The copyright page states 'First Edition' with a complete descending number line ending in 2 ('9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2'). Bound in quarter black cloth over charcoal-grey boards with metallic red lettering to the spine; 368 pages. The first-issue dust jacket should retain the publisher's printed price on the front flap, unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The US Villard edition (1995) is the true first; the UK Fourth Estate edition, also 1995, reads 'First published in Great Britain in 1995 by Fourth Estate' and follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition; later appearances are Picador and Random House trade paperback reprints and lack the stated 'First Edition' with the number line ending in 2.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wonder Boys* by Michael Chabon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wonder-boys
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.