# Is "Against the Fall of Night" by Arthur C. Clarke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke (Gnome Press, 1953) is identified by: US Gnome Press first edition, New York, 1953, 223 pages, bound in cloth (most commonly described as blue, with some copies noted as teal) with spine lettering in purple. The Gnome Press hardcover (1953) is the first book edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Gnome Press first edition, New York, 1953, 223 pages, bound in cloth (most commonly described as blue, with some copies noted as teal) with spine lettering in purple
- The first-issue dust jacket carries artwork by Frank Kelly Freas and should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Clarke later expanded and rewrote the work as The City and the Stars
- Publisher imprint reads Gnome Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Arthur C. Clarke |
| Publisher | Gnome Press |
| Year | 1953 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Gnome Press first edition, New York, 1953, 223 pages, bound in cloth (most commonly described as blue, with some copies noted as teal)… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US Gnome Press first edition, New York, 1953, 223 pages, bound in cloth (most commonly described as blue, with some copies noted as teal) with spine lettering in purple. The first-issue dust jacket carries artwork by Frank Kelly Freas and should retain its printed price on the front flap. 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Against the Fall of Night* by Arthur C. Clarke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/against-the-fall-of-night
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.