# Is "Chanur's Homecoming" by C.J. Cherryh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Chanur's Homecoming by C.J. Cherryh (Phantasia Press, 1986) is identified by: Phantasia Press hardcover, August 1986, an edition of 1,850 copies, of which 350 are signed by Cherryh, numbered, and slipcased; limitation stated in the book. The Phantasia Press hardcover (August 1986) precedes the DAW paperback (January 1987) and is the true first; earlier Chanur volumes followed the same Phantasia-before-DAW pattern.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Phantasia Press hardcover, August 1986, an edition of 1,850 copies, of which 350 are signed by Cherryh, numbered, and slipcased; limitation stated in the book
- The DAW mass-market paperback (DAW Book No
- 695) followed in January 1987
- Publisher imprint reads Phantasia Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.J. Cherryh |
| Publisher | Phantasia Press |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Phantasia Press hardcover, August 1986, an edition of 1,850 copies, of which 350 are signed by Cherryh, numbered, and slipcased; limitation… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Phantasia Press hardcover, August 1986, an edition of 1,850 copies, of which 350 are signed by Cherryh, numbered, and slipcased; limitation stated in the book. The DAW mass-market paperback (DAW Book No. 695) followed in January 1987.

## Is this the true first?
The Phantasia Press hardcover (August 1986) precedes the DAW paperback (January 1987) and is the true first; earlier Chanur volumes followed the same Phantasia-before-DAW pattern. The record's claim of a 1986 DAW paperback original was wrong.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None known; the DAW paperback is a later trade printing, not a book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Chanur's Homecoming* by C.J. Cherryh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/chanurs-homecoming
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.