# Is "Ape and Essence" by Aldous Huxley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ape and Essence by Aldous Huxley (Harper & Brothers, 1948) is identified by: First US edition, Harper & Brothers, New York, 1948, the post-apocalyptic novel cast partly as a film scenario. US Harper & Brothers 1948 is the true first, identified by the stated 'FIRST EDITION' and the 'F-X' Harper code; UK Chatto & Windus followed in 1949.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US edition, Harper & Brothers, New York, 1948, the post-apocalyptic novel cast partly as a film scenario
- The first printing is identified by the copyright page reading 'FIRST EDITION' with the Harper printer's code 'F-X' beneath it
- Bound in blue cloth with the Harper device and spine stamped in light blue and gilt, the fore-edge untrimmed
- The US edition precedes the UK Chatto & Windus edition of 1949
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Aldous Huxley |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1948 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US edition, Harper & Brothers, New York, 1948, the post-apocalyptic novel cast partly as a film scenario |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First US edition, Harper & Brothers, New York, 1948, the post-apocalyptic novel cast partly as a film scenario. The first printing is identified by the copyright page reading 'FIRST EDITION' with the Harper printer's code 'F-X' beneath it. Bound in blue cloth with the Harper device and spine stamped in light blue and gilt, the fore-edge untrimmed. The US edition precedes the UK Chatto & Windus edition of 1949.

## Is this the true first?
US Harper & Brothers 1948 is the true first, identified by the stated 'FIRST EDITION' and the 'F-X' Harper code; UK Chatto & Windus followed in 1949.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue of the true first; later printings lack the 'F-X' code on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ape and Essence* by Aldous Huxley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ape-and-essence
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.