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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Chanur's Venture by C.J. Cherryh (Phantasia Press, 1984) is identified by: Phantasia Press hardcover, October 1984, in a single printing issued in two states: an unsigned trade hardcover of 1,500 copies, and a signed limited issue of 350 copies numbered and signed by the author and housed in a slipcase. The US Phantasia Press hardcover (October 1984) is the true first edition; the DAW mass-market paperback followed in 1985.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Phantasia Press hardcover, October 1984, in a single printing issued in two states: an unsigned trade hardcover of 1,500 copies, and a signed limited issue of 350 copies numbered and signed by the author and housed in a slipcase
- Chanur volume 2
- Signed copies bear the author's signature on a limitation or title leaf
- Publisher imprint reads Phantasia Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.J. Cherryh |
| Publisher | Phantasia Press |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Phantasia Press hardcover, October 1984, in a single printing issued in two states: an unsigned trade hardcover of 1,500 copies, and a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Phantasia Press hardcover, October 1984, in a single printing issued in two states: an unsigned trade hardcover of 1,500 copies, and a signed limited issue of 350 copies numbered and signed by the author and housed in a slipcase. Chanur volume 2. Signed copies bear the author's signature on a limitation or title leaf.

## Is this the true first?
The US Phantasia Press hardcover (October 1984) is the true first edition; the DAW mass-market paperback followed in 1985.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club hardcover was issued (February 1985), set from the DAW text; it is a later, reduced-size book-club printing distinguished by a gutter code and lacks the Phantasia Press limitation and slipcase.

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