# Is "Alnilam" by James Dickey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Alnilam by James Dickey (Doubleday & Company, 1987) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page per Doubleday convention, with no additional printings indicated; Dickey's second novel, following Deliverance, a substantial volume of roughly 682 pages in large octavo, issued in cloth-backed boards. US first edition, published by Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, 1987.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page per Doubleday convention, with no additional printings indicated
- Dickey's second novel, following Deliverance, a substantial volume of roughly 682 pages in large octavo, issued in cloth-backed boards
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap (present, not clipped), matching the Bruccoli & Baughman first-printing description
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Dickey |
| Publisher | Doubleday & Company |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page per Doubleday convention, with no additional printings indicated |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page per Doubleday convention, with no additional printings indicated; Dickey's second novel, following Deliverance, a substantial volume of roughly 682 pages in large octavo, issued in cloth-backed boards. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap (present, not clipped), matching the Bruccoli & Baughman first-printing description.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition, published by Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, 1987. The Bruccoli & Baughman bibliography records this as A45.I.a, confirming the Doubleday printing as the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues are the tell-tale later state: they carry a blind-stamp (small blind-embossed square or dot) to the lower rear board, are typically printed on lighter bulk, and their jackets lack the printed flap price found on the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Alnilam* by James Dickey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/alnilam
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.