# Is "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (Doubleday, 1968) is identified by: Doubleday first edition, Garden City, NY, March 1968, 210 pages. The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first, preceding the UK Rapp & Whiting edition of 1969.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday first edition, Garden City, NY, March 1968, 210 pages
- First printing carries the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing statement, confirmed by the Doubleday date code 'J5' (fifth week of 1968) in the lower right margin of the final text page, page 210
- Bound in gray cloth with gilt spine lettering, 8vo
- First-issue jacket has cover art by Harry Sehring and should retain its printed price on the front flap (do not require an unclipped jacket to call it first-state, but the printed price on an unclipped example confirms it)
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip K. Dick |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday first edition, Garden City, NY, March 1968, 210 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday first edition, Garden City, NY, March 1968, 210 pages. First printing carries the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing statement, confirmed by the Doubleday date code 'J5' (fifth week of 1968) in the lower right margin of the final text page, page 210. Bound in gray cloth with gilt spine lettering, 8vo. First-issue jacket has cover art by Harry Sehring and should retain its printed price on the front flap (do not require an unclipped jacket to call it first-state, but the printed price on an unclipped example confirms it).

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first, preceding the UK Rapp & Whiting edition of 1969. The priced first-issue jacket is the key identification point; PKD firsts are scarce and frequently lack jackets, so verify the gray cloth, the 'First Edition' statement, and the 'J5' code on page 210 together.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Doubleday/SFBC book-club edition shows 'Book Club Edition' on the front jacket flap with no printed price, a blind-stamped dot (gutter code) on the rear board, bulkier and cheaper paper stock, and lacks the 'J5' date code found in the trade first. The BCE is common; the trade first in a priced first-issue jacket is far scarcer.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?* by Philip K. Dick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/do-androids-dream-of-electric-sheep
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.