# Is "3001: The Final Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of 3001: The Final Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (Del Rey, 1997) is identified by: First edition, first printing carries the full Del Rey number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page. The US Del Rey (Ballantine, New York) hardcover and the UK Voyager/HarperCollins hardcover both appeared in 1997; the two are close in date, and the US Del Rey issue is the one identified by the 10-to-1 number line described above.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing carries the full Del Rey number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page
- The volume runs 263 pages and is bound in black cloth, issued in a black pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Del Rey
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Arthur C. Clarke |
| Publisher | Del Rey |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing carries the full Del Rey number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing carries the full Del Rey number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page. The volume runs 263 pages and is bound in black cloth, issued in a black pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Del Rey (Ballantine, New York) hardcover and the UK Voyager/HarperCollins hardcover both appeared in 1997; the two are close in date, and the US Del Rey issue is the one identified by the 10-to-1 number line described above.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Book Club Edition is identifiable by a 'Book Club Edition' notation on the jacket flap and by the absence of a printed price; club copies also lack the full trade number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *3001: The Final Odyssey* by Arthur C. Clarke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/3001-the-final-odyssey
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.