The points of issue
US Gnome Press first edition in cloth with a priced dust jacket. Clarke later expanded and rewrote the work as The City and the Stars (1956).
Is this the true first?
The Gnome Press hardcover (1953) is the first book edition. The text first appeared in the magazine Startling Stories (November 1948), which precedes the book.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Reprints lack the Gnome Press imprint.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Against the Fall of Night a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US Gnome Press first edition in cloth with a priced dust jacket. Clarke later expanded and rewrote the work as The City and the Stars (1956).
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 Gnome Press hardcover (1953) is the first book edition. The text first appeared in the magazine Startling Stories (November 1948), which precedes the book.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. Reprints lack the Gnome Press imprint.
I have a first edition of Against the Fall of Night — 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.