# Is "Alone Against Tomorrow" by Harlan Ellison a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Alone Against Tomorrow by Harlan Ellison (Macmillan, 1971) is identified by: The Macmillan Company first hardcover, 1971 (published March 1971). US Macmillan first hardcover is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Macmillan Company first hardcover, 1971 (published March 1971)
- Cloth, 312 pages; first printing stated on the copyright page; dust jacket priced on the front flap
- Collects twenty stories including 'I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream' and '“Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman.'
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Harlan Ellison |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Macmillan Company first hardcover, 1971 (published March 1971) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The Macmillan Company first hardcover, 1971 (published March 1971). Cloth, 312 pages; first printing stated on the copyright page; dust jacket priced on the front flap. Collects twenty stories including 'I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream' and '“Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman.'

## Is this the true first?
US Macmillan first hardcover is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the stated first printing and the jacket price and usually carry a blind-stamped dot on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Alone Against Tomorrow* by Harlan Ellison a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/alone-against-tomorrow
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.