# Is "Canary in a Cat House" by Kurt Vonnegut a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Canary in a Cat House by Kurt Vonnegut (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1961) is identified by: Gold Medal paperback original (wraps), catalogue number s1153, with its printed price on the cover; no later-printing statement present. True first is the 1961 Gold Medal paperback original.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Gold 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
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kurt Vonnegut |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gold Medal paperback original (wraps), catalogue number s1153, with its printed price on the cover; no later-printing statement present |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Gold 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.

## Is this the true first?
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.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Canary in a Cat House* by Kurt Vonnegut a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/canary-in-a-cat-house
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.