# Is "Darker Than Amber" by John D. MacDonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Darker Than Amber by John D. MacDonald (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1966) is identified by: Gold Medal paperback original, 1966. Paperback original; the Gold Medal wraps edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Gold Medal paperback original, 1966
- Travis McGee #7
- First printing identified by the Gold Medal serial number and unmarked printing statement in pictorial wraps
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John D. MacDonald |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gold Medal paperback original, 1966 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Gold Medal paperback original, 1966. Travis McGee #7. First printing identified by the Gold Medal serial number and unmarked printing statement in pictorial wraps.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original; the Gold Medal wraps edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Gold Medal/Fawcett printings and much later hardcover reprints exist; the first is the unmarked Gold Medal wraps issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Darker Than Amber* by John D. MacDonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/darker-than-amber
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.