The points of issue
Fantasy Press first; trade issue in cloth with dust jacket priced 3.00 on flap. Collection of four novellas/novelettes. Issued in the usual Fantasy Press dual format: a trade printing and a separate signed, numbered limited issue of 500 copies (signed on the limitation leaf); both are the true first edition.
Is this the true first?
US Fantasy Press first. No prior book edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition under the Fantasy Press imprint; later reprints lack the Fantasy Press imprint. Note that some copies appear in a later (non-original) binding, distinct from the original cloth.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Assignment in Eternity a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Fantasy Press first; trade issue in cloth with dust jacket priced 3.00 on flap. Collection of four novellas/novelettes. Issued in the usual Fantasy Press dual format: a trade printing and a separate signed, numbered limited issue of 500 copies (signed on the limitation leaf); both are the true first edition.
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. US Fantasy Press first. No prior book edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition under the Fantasy Press imprint; later reprints lack the Fantasy Press imprint. Note that some copies appear in a later (non-original) binding, distinct from the original cloth.
I have a first edition of Assignment in Eternity — 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.