Kurt Vonnegut First Editions

• Player Piano — 1952 · Charles Scribner's SonsVonnegut's first novel and first book. The Scribner capital 'A' together with the Scribner seal/colophon on the copyright page denotes the first printing. First printing was 7,600 copies. First-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap. US Scribner's true first. It precedes the UK Macmillan & Co. (London) edition of 1953, which retained the title 'Player Piano' (not a retitle). The retitled 'Utopia 14' was a later Bantam paperback reprint of 1954 marketed to science-fiction readers, not a hardcover first and not the UK edition. The 1954 Bantam paperback 'Utopia 14' is a separate, later mass-market reprint state, not a first edition. A genuine Scribner first must show both the 'A' and the seal on the copyright page; later Scribner printings drop the 'A'.
• Canary in a Cat House — 1961 · Fawcett Gold MedalGold Medal paperback original (wraps), catalogue number s1153, with its printed price on the cover; no later-printing statement present. Cover art and illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon. First story collection, twelve stories. True first is the 1961 Gold Medal paperback original. Never issued in hardcover by the publisher; eleven of the twelve stories were later folded into 'Welcome to the Monkey House' (with 'Hal Irwin's Magic Lamp' omitted there). Scarce. None.
• The Sirens of Titan — 1961 · Houghton MifflinThe true first edition is the 1959 Dell paperback original (Dell First Edition B138), with 'First printing - October, 1959' stated on the copyright page and cover art by Richard Powers. The first hardcover is Houghton Mifflin 1961, identified by 'First Printing' on the copyright page, with the jacket carrying the printed price. The genuine first edition is the Dell paperback original (1959), which precedes the first hardcover. Collectors of hardcover firsts use the Houghton Mifflin 1961 printing, but it is the first hardcover, not the true first. The Houghton Mifflin book-club hardcover lacks the price and is blind-stamped; the Dell paperback original cannot be confused with a book-club edition.
• Cat's Cradle — 1963 · Holt, Rinehart and WinstonThe first edition, first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page under the Holt, Rinehart and Winston imprint (New York, Chicago, San Francisco; 1963), with no additional later-printing notice. CORRECTION: the original first-issue dust jacket is with its printed price on the front flap, NOT the printed price. Multiple independent dealers (bbrarebooks, burnsiderarebooks, dustjackets.com) consistently…. US Holt, Rinehart and Winston is the true first. The stated 'First Edition' trade copy is the collected first. Book-club edition lacks 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carries a blind-stamp; reprints are on cheaper paper.
• God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater — 1965 · Holt, Rinehart and WinstonFull title 'God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, or Pearls Before Swine.' Published 5 April 1965 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page, bound as an octavo in half cloth — a gray cloth spine lettered in black with patterned/marbled boards. The dust jacket art is by Murray Tinkelman. On the first-issue jacket the publisher's price is present on the front flap (with the…. True first is the 1965 Holt, Rinehart and Winston edition. The UK first was published by Jonathan Cape in 1965. Note the 1971 Delacorte Uniform Edition reprints the same text but is a later, separate issue, not the first. A book-club edition exists with a blind-stamp to the rear board and an unpriced dust jacket. On the trade first, a later jacket state has the price removed from the front flap while the series price remains on the rear flap.
• Mother Night — 1966 · Harper & RowThe true first edition is the 1962 Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original (issued February 1962, printed wrappers). The first hardcover is Harper & Row 1966, which adds a new Introduction concluding with the dateline 'Iowa City, 1966'; first printing so stated, with the jacket carrying the printed price. The genuine first edition is the Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original (1962); the 1966 Harper & Row hardcover is the first hardcover, with newly added introductory matter. The Harper book-club hardcover lacks the price and is blind-stamped; the paperback original cannot be confused with a book-club edition.
• Welcome to the Monkey House — 1968 · Delacorte Press / Seymour LawrenceFirst hardcover states 'First printing' (given as 'First Delacorte printing') on the copyright page; first-issue dust jacket priced 5.95. Collection of twenty-five stories; eleven were drawn from 'Canary in a Cat House.'. True first hardcover is the 1968 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence edition. The UK first was published by Jonathan Cape in 1969. A book-club edition exists, blind-stamped and with an unpriced jacket.
• Slaughterhouse-Five — 1969 · Delacorte Press / Seymour LawrenceFirst printing states 'First printing' on the copyright page and is bound in blue cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, octavo, 186 pages, under the joint Seymour Lawrence / Delacorte Press imprint. First-issue dust jacket is designed by Paul Bacon, printed on tan stock in blue, black and red, carries its printed price on the front flap and the code '0369' on the rear flap, with the Vonnegut blurbs present. US Delacorte 1969 is the true first; the UK Cape edition follows in 1970. Signed first printings are sought after, but because Vonnegut signed fairly freely a signature alone is not scarce, so confirming first-printing state and the first-issue jacket points matters most. Book-club copies lack the 'First printing' statement, carry an unpriced jacket, are blind-stamped or dot-marked on the rear board, and are often slightly smaller with cheaper boards.
• Happy Birthday, Wanda June — 1971 · Delacorte Press / Seymour LawrenceFirst trade hardcover states 'First printing' on the copyright page; first-state dust jacket carries the original price and is unclipped. Black cloth with red foil trident on the front board; Vonnegut's first published play. True first is the 1971 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence trade hardcover. A Samuel French acting edition (paperback) also exists and is a separate, later format, not the collected first. None notable.
• Between Time and Timbuktu, or Prometheus-5 — 1972 · Delacorte Press / Seymour LawrenceStates 'First printing' on the copyright page. Issued in two states: a hardcover (three-quarter black cloth with silver pictorial upper board) and a softcover/wraps issue. Illustrated teleplay with photographs by Jill Krementz; first-state jacket unclipped. True first is the 1972 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence edition. The hardcover is the collectible state; the simultaneous wraps issue is the more common format. None notable.
• Breakfast of Champions — 1973 · Delacorte Press / Seymour LawrenceCopyright page reads 'First printing-1973'. Bound in publisher's orange cloth, gilt and black spine lettering, yellow topstain. First-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap, jacket design by Bob Giusti. US Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence is the true first edition and precedes the UK Jonathan Cape edition. A signed/limited issue exists distinct from the trade first printing. Book club copies lack the 'First printing-1973' statement and the printed jacket price; club editions are typically identified by a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and lighter, thinner paper and boards.
• Wampeters, Foma & Granfalloons (Opinions) — 1974 · Delacorte Press / Seymour LawrenceStates 'First printing' on the copyright page. Octavo, bound in black cloth boards with silver and blue lettering and design to the front board and spine. The first-state dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap; on an unrestored jacket that price should be present (unclipped). Vonnegut's first essay and nonfiction collection; the first printing ran to roughly 20,000 copies. True first is the 1974 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence edition. The UK first was Jonathan Cape, 1975. None notable.
• Slapstick, or Lonesome No More! — 1976 · Delacorte Press / Seymour LawrenceThe trade first prints "First printing" (First Delacorte printing) on the copyright page and runs to 243 pages. It is bound in dark blue cloth with a gilt facsimile Vonnegut signature and line design stamped bright on the front board, the spine lettered in red with gilt, and red endpapers. The first-state dust jacket has a white ground with a color clown-face illustration on the front panel and a black-and-white…. True first is the 1976 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence trade hardcover. Two collectible parallel states followed roughly a month later: a Delacorte signed/numbered limited issue of 250 copies (slipcased, without jacket) and a Franklin Library full-leather "First Edition Society" issue with all edges gilt, silk endpapers, and a two-page introductory message from Vonnegut plus a commissioned portrait that appear…. The Book Club Edition is blind-stamped on the rear board and lacks the printed price on the front jacket flap; it is typically printed on thinner, lighter bulk. The trade first's jacket retains the printed front-flap price.
• Jailbird — 1979 · Delacorte Press / Seymour LawrenceThe copyright page states 'First Delacorte printing' (not merely 'First printing'); no later-printing line is present. Bound in full black cloth lettered in gilt on the upper board and in gilt and white on the spine, with the publisher's orange top stain. The glossy pictorial first-state trade dust jacket retains the printed price on the unclipped front flap. The book carries a mock character 'index', unusual for…. True first is the 1979 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence trade hardcover (published September 1979). The Franklin Library Signed First Edition Society issue (1979, full green leather, all edges gilt, no jacket as issued, illustrated by Alan E. Cober) is a collectible parallel state; its 'Special Message' leaf carries the author's signature. Book club edition is blind-stamped on the rear board, is lighter in bulk, and lacks the printed jacket price.
• Sun Moon Star — 1980 · Harper & RowCopyright page states First Edition (Harper & Row used a stated-edition line for this title, not a number line). Illustrated children's/holiday book with Ivan Chermayeff, who created the abstract images first; Vonnegut then wrote text to fit them. Black cloth boards with sun, star, and moon devices to the front; priced dust jacket. True first is the 1980 Harper & Row edition. A minor, often-overlooked Vonnegut title. No prominent book-club issue noted; identify the first by the stated First Edition line and an unclipped priced jacket.
• Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage — 1981 · Delacorte Press / Seymour LawrenceThe trade first edition states 'First printing' on the copyright page and is bound in brown cloth with gilt titling, collating xviii, 330 pages. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap and the publication-date code 0381 (March 1981) on the rear flap, so an unclipped priced jacket is the desirable state. Nonfiction autobiographical collage of essays, speeches, letters, reviews, a…. True first is the 1981 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence trade edition. A simultaneous signed limited edition of 500 numbered copies also exists, identified by the copyright-page limitation statement reading in part 'THIS EDITION SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR IS LIMITED TO FIVE HUNDRED COPIES,' and issued in a cloth slipcase without a dust jacket as published. None notable; identify the trade first by the stated 'First printing,' the brown cloth, and an unclipped jacket bearing the 0381 date code on the rear flap.
• Deadeye Dick — 1982 · Delacorte Press / Seymour LawrenceFirst printing stated on the copyright page; priced trade dust jacket. Blue cloth with a facsimile author signature in gilt on the front board. A separate signed/numbered limited edition of 350 copies in a matching slipcase was issued. True first is the 1982 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence trade edition. The signed limited issue is limited to 350 numbered copies. Book-club edition lacks the stated first printing and the priced jacket; identify the first by the stated first printing and an unclipped priced jacket.
• Galápagos — 1985 · Delacorte Press / Seymour LawrenceFirst printing stated on the copyright page; priced trade dust jacket. A Franklin Library signed limited edition, full leather with all-edges-gilt and marbled endpapers, was issued for its Signed First Edition Society. True first trade edition is the 1985 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence printing. The Franklin Library signed leather edition was a deluxe limited issue for subscribers, distinct from the trade first. UK: Jonathan Cape, 1985. Book-club edition lacks the stated first printing and the priced jacket; identify the first by the stated first printing and an unclipped priced jacket.
• Bluebeard — 1987 · Delacorte PressCopyright page states First trade edition / first printing (not a number line). Priced trade dust jacket. Quarter black cloth over blue boards with a facsimile author signature in gilt on the front board; red endpapers. A separate signed/numbered limited edition in a slipcase was issued, and the Franklin Library produced a signed leather edition for its Signed First Edition Society with a Special Message by Vonnegut. True first trade edition is the 1987 Delacorte Press printing, identified by the stated first trade edition / first printing line. The Franklin Library signed leather issue was a near-simultaneous deluxe edition for subscribers and is sometimes cited as appearing slightly ahead of the trade printing; the standard collected first is the priced Delacorte trade edition. UK: Jonathan Cape, 1988. Book-club edition lacks the stated first printing and the priced jacket; identify the first by the stated first-edition line and an unclipped priced jacket.
• Hocus Pocus — 1990 · G. P. Putnam's SonsFull number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (ending in 1) indicates the first printing; priced trade dust jacket. A signed/numbered limited slipcased issue of 250 copies was produced, and the Franklin Library issued a signed deluxe edition with a Special Message by Vonnegut. True first is the 1990 G. P. Putnam's Sons trade edition, identified by the complete number line ending in 1. UK: Jonathan Cape, 1990. Book-club edition lacks the full number line and the priced jacket; identify the first by the complete 1-10 number line and an unclipped priced jacket.
• Fates Worse Than Death: An Autobiographical Collage of the 1980s — 1991 · G. P. Putnam's SonsFirst trade edition identified by a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; issued in cloth-backed boards with an unclipped pictorial dust jacket. Nonfiction autobiographical collage. A signed limited edition of 200 copies was issued simultaneously. True first is the 1991 G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York) edition. UK edition followed from Jonathan Cape, 1991. None notable.
• Timequake — 1997 · G. P. Putnam's SonsFirst trade edition, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1997. The first printing is identified by the full number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page (a printing is denoted by the lowest digit present; a line beginning in 1 marks the first). The dust jacket carries art by Paul Bacon and bears the printed price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped on a first-issue jacket. A…. True first is the 1997 G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York) trade edition, first printing identified by the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. The UK edition followed from Jonathan Cape, 1997. None notable.
• Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction — 1999 · G. P. Putnam's SonsFirst trade edition identified by the number line '3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' on the copyright page; G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1999. Bound in black cloth over white boards, spine stamped in green, and issued in a priced, unclipped pictorial dust jacket. Collects twenty-three previously uncollected magazine stories written between 1950 and 1963. True first is the 1999 G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York) trade edition with the '3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' number line. A UK edition followed from Jonathan Cape, 1999. Signed and numbered limited states were also produced but do not precede the trade first. None notable. The first-printing point is the specific '3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' number line together with the green-stamped black-cloth-over-white-boards binding and priced jacket.
• God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian — 1999 · Seven Stories PressFirst Seven Stories Press edition (New York), slim volume in half blue cloth over white paper boards with a Jules Feiffer jacket illustration; priced, unclipped jacket. Based on short fictional interviews first broadcast on WNYC. True first is the 1999 Seven Stories Press edition; US-only true first. Minor title. None.
• A Man Without a Country — 2005 · Seven Stories PressFirst Seven Stories Press edition (New York, 2005), collating ix and 146 pages with illustrations. First printing is identified by the full number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, issued in a priced, unclipped dust jacket (the printed price should be present). Essay and observations collection; the last book Vonnegut published in his lifetime. True first is the 2005 Seven Stories Press hardcover edition; a US-only true first with no preceding UK issue. None notable; later printings advance or truncate the number line so that the 1 no longer stands at the end.
• Armageddon in Retrospect — 2008 · G. P. Putnam's SonsFirst trade edition identified by a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; priced, unclipped jacket. Posthumous collection of new and unpublished writings on war and peace, with an introduction by Mark Vonnegut. True first is the 2008 G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York) edition, published posthumously. None notable.

More Literary Fiction (US) & Award Winners shelves: Larry Brown, Larry Niven, Lawrence Durrell, Lee Smith, Leigh Brackett, Lewis Carroll.

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