# Is "Micro" by Michael Crichton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Micro by Michael Crichton (Harper, 2011) is identified by: 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1. US Harper first edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1
- The first-printing binding is black boards blindstamped on the front cover with a micro-person and a beetle, quarter-bound in black cloth with iridescent red foil lettering to the spine, over Hawaii map endpapers; about 429 pages plus an About the Authors leaf
- The pictorial first-state dust jacket is predominantly red with a black insect and a small red silhouette of a man within it, and should retain the printed price on the flap
- Posthumous novel completed by Richard Preston, published under the Harper imprint of HarperCollins
- Publisher imprint reads Harper
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael Crichton |
| Publisher | Harper |
| Year | 2011 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1. The first-printing binding is black boards blindstamped on the front cover with a micro-person and a beetle, quarter-bound in black cloth with iridescent red foil lettering to the spine, over Hawaii map endpapers; about 429 pages plus an About the Authors leaf. The pictorial first-state dust jacket is predominantly red with a black insect and a small red silhouette of a man within it, and should retain the printed price on the flap. Posthumous novel completed by Richard Preston, published under the Harper imprint of HarperCollins.

## Is this the true first?
US Harper first edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints and book-club editions lack the stated 'First Edition' line and the complete number line; confirm the number line descends to 1 and that the blindstamped front board, red foil spine lettering, and Hawaii map endpapers are present.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Micro* by Michael Crichton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/micro
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.