# Is "City of Illusions" by Ursula K. Le Guin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of City of Illusions by Ursula K. Le Guin (Ace, 1967) is identified by: Ace single-novel paperback original, catalog number G-626, 1967, with its printed price on the cover, with cover art by Jack Gaughan; small octavo in pictorial wrappers, with no statement of printing on the copyright page. US Ace paperback original (G-626) is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ace single-novel paperback original, catalog number G-626, 1967, with its printed price on the cover, with cover art by Jack Gaughan; small octavo in pictorial wrappers, with no statement of printing on the copyright page
- The G-626 designation on the cover is the key first-issue point: a later Ace issue carries the catalog number 10701 instead of G-626
- The first hardcover (Victor Gollancz) did not appear until 1971
- Publisher imprint reads Ace
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ursula K. Le Guin |
| Publisher | Ace |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ace single-novel paperback original, catalog number G-626, 1967, with its printed price on the cover, with cover art by Jack Gaughan; small… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ace single-novel paperback original, catalog number G-626, 1967, with its printed price on the cover, with cover art by Jack Gaughan; small octavo in pictorial wrappers, with no statement of printing on the copyright page. The G-626 designation on the cover is the key first-issue point: a later Ace issue carries the catalog number 10701 instead of G-626. The first hardcover (Victor Gollancz) did not appear until 1971.

## Is this the true first?
US Ace paperback original (G-626) is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of the paperback original; the later Ace 10701 issue does not precede the G-626 first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *City of Illusions* by Ursula K. Le Guin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/city-of-illusions
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.