# Is "Babel-17" by Samuel R. Delany a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany (Ace Books, New York, 1966) is identified by: The first edition is the Ace paperback original, catalogue code F-388, 1966, a co-winner of the Nebula Award for best novel. The true first is the Ace F-388 paperback original; there was no earlier hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first edition is the Ace paperback original, catalogue code F-388, 1966, a co-winner of the Nebula Award for best novel
- The first printing carries the statement 'first book publication' on the front cover and the original cover printed price
- Paperback original with no preceding hardcover
- Publisher imprint reads Ace Books, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Samuel R. Delany |
| Publisher | Ace Books, New York |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first edition is the Ace paperback original, catalogue code F-388, 1966, a co-winner of the Nebula Award for best novel |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The first edition is the Ace paperback original, catalogue code F-388, 1966, a co-winner of the Nebula Award for best novel. The first printing carries the statement 'first book publication' on the front cover and the original cover printed price. Paperback original with no preceding hardcover.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the Ace F-388 paperback original; there was no earlier hardcover. The later Gregg Press library hardcover is a first-hardcover issue, not the priority edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Identify by the Ace 'F-388' code, the 'first book publication' cover line, and the printed price cover price. Later printings of the Ace edition replace that line with a 'Nebula Award Winner' blazon and raise the cover price to the printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Babel-17* by Samuel R. Delany a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/babel-17
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.