Robert Silverberg First Editions

• Revolt on Alpha C — 1955 · Thomas Y. CrowellUS Thomas Y. Crowell hardcover, 1955, the true first: an illustrated juvenile science fiction novel of roughly 148 pages, about 21 cm tall. It is Silverberg's first published book. The first issue is bound in publisher's cloth and carries the original pictorial dust jacket; a correct copy retains the printed price on the jacket flap. The US Thomas Y. Crowell first hardcover (1955) is the true first. It later appeared in paperback (Scholastic and other imprints); those are reprints, not the first. No book club edition of the first was issued. The later Scholastic and other softcover printings are reprints, not club issues, and lack the Crowell hardcover binding and jacket.
• Master of Life and Death — 1957 · AceAce Double D-237 paperback original, 1957, bound tete-beche (dos-a-dos, the two texts back to back with one inverted) with The Secret Visitors by James White as the reverse novel. First-issue Ace Double wrappers carry the D-237 designation and the original printed cover price. This is the first book appearance of Master of Life and Death; The Secret Visitors had earlier been serialized in New Worlds as Tourist…. US Ace paperback original (Ace Double D-237) is the true first; there is no prior hardcover of Master of Life and Death. No book-club edition; paperback original only. Confirm a first by the D-237 designation and original wrapper price, distinguishing it from any later Ace reissue under a different catalogue number.
• The 13th Immortal — 1957 · AceAce Double D-223 paperback original, with its printed price, bound tete-beche (dos-a-dos) with This Fortress World by James E. Gunn, the Gunn side abridged from the 1955 Gnome Press text. Cover art by Edward Valigursky for the Silverberg side and Ed Emshwiller for the Gunn side. Issued in spring 1957. US Ace Double paperback original is the true first; this is Silverberg's first novel in book form, appearing only in this Ace Double with no separate hardcover first. No book club edition; there was no hardcover issue of The 13th Immortal, so the D-223 Ace Double is the sole first form.
• Invaders from Earth — 1958 · AceAce Double D-286 paperback original, bound dos-a-dos with Across Time by David Grinnell (pseudonym of Donald A. Wollheim). Emsh cover art. Expanded from We, the Marauders (Science Fiction Quarterly, February 1958). US Ace Double paperback original is the true first book appearance. No book club edition.
• Recalled to Life — 1962 · LancerLancer paperback original, catalog number 74-810, Emsh cover. The novel was first serialized in Infinity Science Fiction (June and August 1958); the 1962 Lancer is the first book-form edition. Silverberg substantially revised the text for the later Doubleday hardcover (1972). US Lancer paperback original is the true first in book form. The Doubleday hardcover is a later, revised edition, not the first. No book club edition of the 1962 Lancer.
• Thorns — 1967 · BallantineBallantine Books, New York, 1967, paperback original, catalog number U6097; a Nebula- and Hugo-nominated novel. As a paperback original the first printing is the earliest appearance in book form, and should carry the Ballantine U6097 number with the printed cover price and no later-printing notation. US Ballantine paperback original (U6097, 1967) is the true first; a separate first Canadian edition also exists but is not the precedent. No book-club edition. Later Ballantine printings are distinguished by revised pricing and printing notation rather than the clean first-printing U6097 state.
• To Open the Sky — 1967 · BallantineBallantine Books paperback original, New York, 1967, catalog number U6093, with cover art by Richard Powers and no statement of later printing. A fix-up assembled from five novelettes first published 1965 to 1966: 'Blue Fire,' 'The Warriors of Light,' 'Where the Changed Ones Go,' 'Lazarus Come Forth,' and 'Open the Sky.'. US Ballantine paperback original is the true first; there was no prior hardcover. No book club edition. Priority rests on the U6093 catalog number and the absence of any additional printing statement; later Ballantine reissues carry different catalog numbers.
• Hawksbill Station — 1968 · DoubledayUS Doubleday first hardcover (Garden City, 1968) with "First Edition" stated on the copyright page and no later printing indicated. Per Doubleday's convention of the period, the first printing also carries a small gutter (printer's) code on the last leaf of text dating the impression to August 1968; the first-issue dust jacket retains its printed price. Expanded from the August 1967 Galaxy novella. US Doubleday first hardcover (Garden City, October 1968). Expanded from the August 1967 Galaxy novella, which precedes it in magazine form. UK appeared as The Anvil of Time. The book club edition lacks the stated "First Edition," reads "Book Club Edition" on the front jacket flap with no printed price, and carries a later gutter code (blind-stamped depression) on the rear board.
• The Masks of Time — 1968 · BallantineBallantine Books paperback original, 1968, catalog number U6121, with cover art by Robert Foster; a Nebula-nominated novel. As a paperback original there is no hardcover precedent for the first market appearance. The first printing should show the Ballantine U6121 number and the printed cover price, with no statement of a later printing. US Ballantine paperback original (U6121, 1968) is the true first; there is no earlier hardcover. No book-club edition. A later Ballantine printing (1973) exists and is distinguished by revised cover pricing and printing notation rather than the clean first-printing U6121 state.
• Nightwings — 1969 · AvonAvon paperback original, catalog number V2303 (not V2331), first printing September 1969, running to 190 pages, with the wraparound cover art by Don Ivan Punchatz. As a paperback original there is no printer's number line; the true first is identified by the V2303 catalog number and the printed cover price on the front cover (present, not clipped, on an unmarked copy). The title novella won the 1969 Hugo Award,…. The US Avon paperback original (V2303, September 1969) is the true first book edition, first assembling the three linked stories Nightwings, Perris Way, and To Jorslem into a single fix-up novel. No prior hardcover precedes it. Not applicable; a paperback original with no book club edition. Later Avon printings carry higher catalog numbers and revised cover pricing.
• The Man in the Maze — 1969 · AvonAvon paperback original (Avon Books, 1969), catalog number V2262, a pictorial wrappers mass-market first with the Avon-printed cover price and cover art by Don Ivan Punchatz. No prior book edition; the first-printing wrappers carry the V2262 number with no later-printing overprint. US Avon paperback original is the true first book edition. The novel was serialized in If (April and May 1968) before book publication. Not applicable; paperback original with no book club edition.
• To Live Again — 1969 · DoubledayThe US Doubleday first hardcover (Garden City, 1969) is stated "First Edition" beneath the copyright notice, following Doubleday's 1927-2000 practice of printing that line on true firsts. The book is bound in blue cloth with the title stamped in black on the spine, and is issued in an illustrated dust jacket designed by Pat Steir; the first-issue jacket carries the printed price and should not be replaced or…. US Doubleday first hardcover (Garden City, 1969), stated "First Edition" on the copyright page, blue cloth, Pat Steir jacket art. The book club edition lacks the stated "First Edition" line and the printed-price jacket, is bound and printed more cheaply, and typically carries a small blind-stamp (impressed square or dot) on the lower rear board. Note that the Doubleday gutter code alone does not distinguish trade from book-club copies, since Doubleday used gutter codes on both; rely on the stated "First Edition", the priced jacket, and the….
• Up the Line — 1969 · BallantineBallantine Books paperback original, August 1969, catalog number 01680, in pictorial wrappers with a painted cover by Ron Walotsky and the Ballantine-printed cover price; approximately 250 pages. No prior book edition; the true first is this first-printing state with the 01680 number and no later-printing price uptick or reprint code. US Ballantine paperback original is the true first book edition. Not applicable; paperback original with no book club edition.
• Downward to the Earth — 1970 · Nelson DoubledayThe first US hardcover was the Science Fiction Book Club edition issued by Nelson Doubleday in 1970. As a book club issue it does NOT state "First Edition," carries an unpriced jacket, and shows the usual book-club blind stamp on the rear board. Do not expect a stated "First Edition" or a priced trade jacket for this title. No separate Doubleday trade hardcover was issued; the first US hardcover appearance was the Nelson Doubleday / Science Fiction Book Club edition. The novel was serialized in Galaxy (November 1969 to March 1970) before book publication. The book club issue IS effectively the first hardcover here, so the usual "book club versus trade" distinction does not apply; standard book-club markers (no stated first, unpriced jacket, gutter blind stamp) are present on the first hardcover itself.
• Tower of Glass — 1970 · Charles Scribner's SonsCharles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1970. First edition identified by the Scribner 'A' on the copyright page together with the Scribner seal (the publisher's first-printing convention for this period): the capital 'A' stands alone with no later letter-number impression code. Issued in publisher's cloth with a priced dust jacket; the jacket should carry its printed price, and a price-clipped jacket cannot be dated…. US Charles Scribner's Sons first hardcover edition; this is the true first printing of the novel. No separate book-club edition issue is noted for this title. Later Scribner printings replace the 'A' with a letter-number impression code (for example B-2.71 for the February 1971 second printing), so any such code on the copyright page marks a later printing rather than the first.
• A Time of Changes — 1971 · DoubledayDoubleday hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing indication; dust jacket carries a price on the front flap. Doubleday's stated 'First Edition' is the primary point of issue for the trade first. The US Doubleday 1971 hardcover is the true first. Doubleday also produced the Science Fiction Book Club printing, so trade-first versus book-club state must be checked carefully. Won the 1971 Nebula Award for Best Novel. Book-club edition has no price on the jacket front flap and a blind-stamp impressed in the lower rear board, and it lacks the 'First Edition' statement. Note that Doubleday gutter codes appear on both trade and book-club printings and therefore do not by themselves distinguish a first edition.
• Son of Man — 1971 · Ballantine BooksBallantine Books mass-market paperback original, catalog number 02277, first printing June 1971, approximately 213 pp; wraparound cover art by Gene Szafran with the price printed on the front cover. The copyright page of the true first shows no later-printing statement and no printing-line reduction. The US Ballantine Books paperback original (June 1971) is the true first edition; there was no prior hardcover. Not applicable; a paperback original has no book-club edition. Later Ballantine reprints revise the copyright-page printing statement and may alter the cover price.
• The World Inside — 1971 · Doubleday'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no later printing line; gutter code present at the foot of the last page of text; priced dust jacket designed by James Starrett ('Doubleday Science Fiction' at spine tail). US Doubleday & Company first hardcover edition (Garden City), issued 1971. Book club edition lacks the 'First Edition' statement, has a blind-stamped 'dot' or square on the rear board, and an unpriced jacket.
• Dying Inside — 1972 · Charles Scribner's Sons, New YorkThe first printing carries the capital 'A' on the copyright page, which is Scribner's standard first-edition marker for this era, typically accompanied by a manufacturer/date code (for example a line such as 'A-2.72[V]'). Priced dust jacket with the price printed on the front flap; cloth-backed boards. Widely regarded as among Silverberg's finest novels. The US Scribner edition is the true first; the capital 'A' on the copyright page is the point of issue. The UK Sidgwick & Jackson edition is a separate later setting with priority to Scribner. A copy lacking the 'A' on the copyright page is a later printing or a club issue. Book club and reprint editions omit the 'A' and use cheaper stock.
• The Book of Skulls — 1972 · Charles Scribner's Sons, New YorkThe first printing carries the capital 'A' on the copyright page, Scribner's first-edition marker for this period, typically with a manufacturer/date code line (for example 'A-12.71[C]'). Price printed on the front jacket flap. Issued the same year as Dying Inside. The US Scribner first edition is the true first; identify it by the 'A' on the copyright page. Later paperback and UK editions follow. Club and later printings drop the 'A' on the copyright page; absence of the 'A' indicates it is not the first edition.
• The Second Trip — 1972 · Doubleday'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no later printing line; gutter code 39N at the foot of the last page of text; priced dust jacket whose front panel reproduces a photograph of a Gene Szafran sculpture. The novel was serialized in Amazing Stories (July-September 1971) before this first hardcover appearance. US Doubleday & Company first hardcover edition, issued 1972. Book-club edition (Nelson Doubleday / SFBC) lacks the 'First Edition' statement, carries a blind-stamped device on the rear board, and has an unpriced jacket.
• Born with the Dead — 1974 · Random House'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with a complete descending number line (for example 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2) per Random House convention; priced dust jacket. Collects three novellas; the title novella won the Nebula. US Random House first hardcover edition, 1974, titled 'Born with the Dead: Three Novellas.'. Book club edition lacks the 'First Edition' statement and number line, has a blind-stamped device on the rear board, and an unpriced jacket.
• Dying Inside aside — The Stochastic Man — 1975 · Harper & Row'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page together with a number line whose lowest digit is 1 (Harper & Row's 1975 convention combines the printed statement with a year/printing number row); priced dust jacket. US Harper & Row first hardcover edition, 1975. No book club edition issue confirmed for this title; rely on the copyright-page number line, since Harper & Row sometimes left the 'FIRST EDITION' statement on later printings.
• Shadrach in the Furnace — 1976 · Bobbs-MerrillUS Bobbs-Merrill first hardcover, 1976, an octavo of 245 pages bound in red cloth over yellow papered boards with the spine stamped in gold. The first-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap; a true first is price-present and unclipped. The US Bobbs-Merrill hardcover is the first book edition; the novel first appeared serialized in Analog Science Fiction and Fact across the August, September and October 1976 issues. Book club editions are typically identified by a blind stamp or gutter code on the rear board and by a jacket bearing no printed price on the flap.
• Lord Valentine's Castle — 1980 · Harper & Row, New YorkThe trade first edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page together with a complete number line ending in 1. First US printing, 1980 (ISBN 0-06-014026-7). Price printed on the front jacket flap. Dust jacket art by Ron Walotsky; quarter cloth over boards. A separate signed/numbered limited edition was issued by Harper & Row itself, limited to 250 copies in the publisher's slipcase. Underwood-Miller did…. The Harper & Row 1980 trade first edition is the true first. A simultaneous Harper & Row signed/numbered limited edition (250 copies, publisher's slipcase) was issued for collectors. There is no Underwood-Miller edition of this title; verify the Harper limitation leaf for the numbered state. The Science Fiction Book Club edition shows a gutter blindstamp and an unpriced 'Book Club Edition' jacket; it lacks both the Harper number line and the limitation leaf of the numbered Harper & Row issue.
• Majipoor Chronicles — 1982 · Arbor HouseUS Arbor House first edition, 1982, identified by a complete number line on the copyright page and a dust jacket with the original printed price intact. Collection of ten stories set in the Majipoor world. US Arbor House hardcover is the first edition. Book club editions are identified by the words 'Book Club Edition' on the jacket flap and the absence of a printed price.
• Valentine Pontifex — 1983 · Arbor HouseUS Arbor House first edition, 1983, with a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and the original printed price on the jacket front flap. Quarter cloth over paper boards. Third Majipoor book. US Arbor House hardcover is the first edition. Book club editions are identified by 'Book Club Edition' on the jacket flap and no printed price.
• Gilgamesh the King — 1984 · Arbor HouseUS Arbor House first edition, 1984, with a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and the original printed price on the jacket front flap. Bound as an octavo in quarter cloth over boards, with the first-issue dust jacket designed by Loretta Trezzo. US Arbor House hardcover is the first edition. Book club editions are identified by 'Book Club Edition' on the jacket flap, the absence of a printed price, and a blindstamp to the rear board.
• Tom O'Bedlam — 1985 · Donald I. FineUS Donald I. Fine first edition, 1985 (ISBN 0-917657-31-3). A first printing carries a complete number line on the copyright page counting down to 1. The binding is tan buckram boards with a contrasting blue buckram spine. The original printed price is present on the jacket front flap. US Donald I. Fine hardcover is the first edition. Book club editions are identified by 'Book Club Edition' on the jacket flap and no printed price.
• Star of Gypsies — 1986 · Donald I. FineUS Donald I. Fine first edition, 1986 (ISBN 0-917657-92-4). A first printing carries a complete number line on the copyright page counting down to 1, and the original printed price is present on the jacket front flap. US Donald I. Fine hardcover is the first edition. Book club editions are identified by the absence of a printed price and the usual book-club jacket and binding markers.

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