The points of issue
First US edition and first English-language edition; Harcourt, Brace & World, 1968, translated by William Weaver (octavo, cloth in dust jacket). The Harcourt, Brace & World imprint (pre-Jovanovich merger) is a key tell for the 1968 first.
Is this the true first?
The world first is the Italian 'Le cosmicomiche' (Einaudi, 1965). The 1968 Harcourt, Brace & World edition is the first edition in English; Weaver's translation won the 1969 National Book Award for translation. A UK edition followed in 1969.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings carry the Harcourt Brace Jovanovich imprint (post-1970 merger), a quick tell against the 1968 first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Cosmicomics (Le cosmicomiche) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First US edition and first English-language edition; Harcourt, Brace & World, 1968, translated by William Weaver (octavo, cloth in dust jacket). The Harcourt, Brace & World imprint (pre-Jovanovich merger) is a key tell for the 1968 first.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The world first is the Italian 'Le cosmicomiche' (Einaudi, 1965). The 1968 Harcourt, Brace & World edition is the first edition in English; Weaver's translation won the 1969 National Book Award for translation. A UK edition followed in 1969.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings carry the Harcourt Brace Jovanovich imprint (post-1970 merger), a quick tell against the 1968 first printing.
I have a first edition of Cosmicomics (Le cosmicomiche) — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.