# Is "Citizen of the Galaxy" by Robert A. Heinlein a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein (Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1957) is identified by: First printing carries the capital 'A' with the Scribner seal on the copyright page and the dated printing code 'A-7.57', reflecting July 1957 publication. The US Scribner edition is the true first of this Heinlein juvenile, the twelfth in the Scribner juvenile series; the Scribner 'A' with seal and the 'A-7.57' code are the decisive points.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the capital 'A' with the Scribner seal on the copyright page and the dated printing code 'A-7.57', reflecting July 1957 publication
- Issued at 302 pages in publisher's cloth with the spine and front-board lettering stamped in orange-red
- No later-printing statement; the printed price should be present on the front jacket flap
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons, New York |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the capital 'A' with the Scribner seal on the copyright page and the dated printing code 'A-7.57', reflecting July… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the capital 'A' with the Scribner seal on the copyright page and the dated printing code 'A-7.57', reflecting July 1957 publication. Issued at 302 pages in publisher's cloth with the spine and front-board lettering stamped in orange-red. No later-printing statement; the printed price should be present on the front jacket flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Scribner edition is the true first of this Heinlein juvenile, the twelfth in the Scribner juvenile series; the Scribner 'A' with seal and the 'A-7.57' code are the decisive points. The UK Gollancz issue is a much later, separate setting.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No early book-club issue carries the Scribner 'A' and 'A-7.57' code. Any copy lacking the 'A' and seal on the copyright page is a later printing or club/reprint, not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Citizen of the Galaxy* by Robert A. Heinlein a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/citizen-of-the-galaxy
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.