# Is "Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium" by Carl Sagan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium by Carl Sagan (Random House, 1997) is identified by: The Random House first printing follows the house convention: the words 'First Edition' are stated on the copyright page together with a number line that begins at 2 in the Random House even-number pattern (2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3), not a line ending in 1. US true first (Random House, 1997), Sagan's last book, completed after his death in December 1996.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Random House first printing follows the house convention: the words 'First Edition' are stated on the copyright page together with a number line that begins at 2 in the Random House even-number pattern (2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3), not a line ending in 1
- Bound in black boards with gilt lettering on the spine and issued in a priced pictorial dust jacket
- Published posthumously; includes an epilogue by Ann Druyan
- ISBN 0-679-41160-7
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Carl Sagan |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Random House first printing follows the house convention: the words 'First Edition' are stated on the copyright page together with a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The Random House first printing follows the house convention: the words 'First Edition' are stated on the copyright page together with a number line that begins at 2 in the Random House even-number pattern (2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3), not a line ending in 1. Bound in black boards with gilt lettering on the spine and issued in a priced pictorial dust jacket. Published posthumously; includes an epilogue by Ann Druyan. ISBN 0-679-41160-7.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (Random House, 1997), Sagan's last book, completed after his death in December 1996.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium* by Carl Sagan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/billions-and-billions-thoughts-on-life-and-death-at-the-brin
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.