# Is "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M. Miller Jr. a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. (J. B. Lippincott, 1959) is identified by: Lippincott, Philadelphia and New York, 1960. The US Lippincott edition is the true first, preceding the UK Hutchinson edition (1960).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia and New York, 1960
- The copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a 1959 copyright; the title page shows 1960
- Bound as an octavo in quarter cloth over mauve boards
- The first-issue dust jacket bears George Sottung's cover art and retains its printed front-flap price
- The scarce publisher's orange wrap-around promotional band, printed with blurbs by Ray Bradbury and Carlos Baker, is a first-issue element seldom present today
- Publisher imprint reads J. B. Lippincott
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Walter M. Miller Jr. |
| Publisher | J. B. Lippincott |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia and New York, 1960 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia and New York, 1960. The copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a 1959 copyright; the title page shows 1960. Bound as an octavo in quarter cloth over mauve boards. The first-issue dust jacket bears George Sottung's cover art and retains its printed front-flap price. The scarce publisher's orange wrap-around promotional band, printed with blurbs by Ray Bradbury and Carlos Baker, is a first-issue element seldom present today.

## Is this the true first?
The US Lippincott edition is the true first, preceding the UK Hutchinson edition (1960). The point of issue is the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page; two reprints appeared within the first year, so verify that statement.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The SFBC edition shows 'Book Club Edition' on the flap with no printed price, a blind-stamped dot on the rear board, and cheaper bulked paper. The BCE is common; the trade first in the Sottung jacket is much scarcer.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Canticle for Leibowitz* by Walter M. Miller Jr. a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-canticle-for-leibowitz
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.