The points of issue
Paperback original in pictorial wrappers, Ballantine number 256, 35 cents, April 1958; 188 pp; cover art by Richard Powers. First printing carries the 256 code with no later-printing statement on the copyright page.
Is this the true first?
The US Ballantine 1958 paperback original is the true first edition. There was no simultaneous Ballantine hardcover. The first hardcover anywhere is the Faber (UK) 1959; the first US hardcover is later (Walker, 1969). Part of the work appeared earlier in Worlds of If (1953).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book club edition of the true first; later Ballantine printings add printing statements or numbers to the copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Case of Conscience a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Paperback original in pictorial wrappers, Ballantine number 256, 35 cents, April 1958; 188 pp; cover art by Richard Powers. First printing carries the 256 code with no later-printing statement on the copyright page.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Ballantine 1958 paperback original is the true first edition. There was no simultaneous Ballantine hardcover. The first hardcover anywhere is the Faber (UK) 1959; the first US hardcover is later (Walker, 1969). Part of the work appeared earlier in Worlds of If (1953).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No prominent book club edition of the true first; later Ballantine printings add printing statements or numbers to the copyright page.
I have a first edition of A Case of Conscience — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.