# Is "Between Time and Timbuktu, or Prometheus-5" by Kurt Vonnegut a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Between Time and Timbuktu, or Prometheus-5 by Kurt Vonnegut (Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence, 1972) is identified by: States 'First printing' on the copyright page. True first is the 1972 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- States '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
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kurt Vonnegut |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | States 'First printing' on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
States '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.

## Is this the true first?
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.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Between Time and Timbuktu, or Prometheus-5* by Kurt Vonnegut a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/between-time-and-timbuktu-or-prometheus-5
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.