# Is "Deathbird Stories" by Harlan Ellison a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison (Harper & Row, 1975) is identified by: Harper & Row first hardcover, 1975. US Harper & Row first hardcover is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Row first hardcover, 1975
- True first printing has the printing code ending in '1' at the foot of the last text page (p
- 336) and 'E-241' code on the jacket; first-state binding has a purple cloth spine over gray paper-covered boards; dust jacket priced
- Collects nineteen stories
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Harlan Ellison |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1975 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Row first hardcover, 1975 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harper & Row first hardcover, 1975. True first printing has the printing code ending in '1' at the foot of the last text page (p. 336) and 'E-241' code on the jacket; first-state binding has a purple cloth spine over gray paper-covered boards; dust jacket priced. Collects nineteen stories.

## Is this the true first?
US Harper & Row first hardcover is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings retain the 'First Edition' statement but show a code ending in a higher number on the last text page; book club copies lack the jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Deathbird Stories* by Harlan Ellison a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/deathbird-stories
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.