# Is "A Scanner Darkly" by Philip K. Dick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick (Doubleday, 1977) is identified by: First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no additional printings listed, and carries a Doubleday gutter/printing code (typically 'G51') in the lower margin of the final text page (page 216) consistent with the January 1977 first printing. US Doubleday (Garden City, New York), January 1977, is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition follows later the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no additional printings listed, and carries a Doubleday gutter/printing code (typically 'G51') in the lower margin of the final text page (page 216) consistent with the January 1977 first printing
- Bound in beige paper-covered boards with black spine lettering, octavo
- The first-issue dust jacket bears artwork by the Quay Brothers (the Quays) and the printed price on the front flap; the price should be present on an unclipped example, though clipping alone does not disqualify a first
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip K. Dick |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no additional printings listed, and carries a Doubleday gutter/printing… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no additional printings listed, and carries a Doubleday gutter/printing code (typically 'G51') in the lower margin of the final text page (page 216) consistent with the January 1977 first printing. Bound in beige paper-covered boards with black spine lettering, octavo. The first-issue dust jacket bears artwork by the Quay Brothers (the Quays) and the printed price on the front flap; the price should be present on an unclipped example, though clipping alone does not disqualify a first.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday (Garden City, New York), January 1977, is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition follows later the same year.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Doubleday book-club edition is a separate issue: it omits the 'First Edition' statement, carries a blindstamp (small blank indentation) on the rear board, has a jacket with no printed price, and shows different gutter codes such as H05 or H13. Common.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Scanner Darkly* by Philip K. Dick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-scanner-darkly
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.