# Is "Downward to the Earth" by Robert Silverberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Downward to the Earth by Robert Silverberg (Nelson Doubleday, 1970) is identified by: The first US hardcover was the Science Fiction Book Club edition issued by Nelson Doubleday in 1970. No separate Doubleday trade hardcover was issued; the first US hardcover appearance was the Nelson Doubleday / Science Fiction Book Club edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first US hardcover was the Science Fiction Book Club edition issued by Nelson Doubleday in 1970
- As a book club issue it does NOT state "First Edition," carries an unpriced jacket, and shows the usual book-club blind stamp on the rear board
- Do not expect a stated "First Edition" or a priced trade jacket for this title
- Publisher imprint reads Nelson Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Silverberg |
| Publisher | Nelson Doubleday |
| Year | 1970 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first US hardcover was the Science Fiction Book Club edition issued by Nelson Doubleday in 1970 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first US hardcover was the Science Fiction Book Club edition issued by Nelson Doubleday in 1970. As a book club issue it does NOT state "First Edition," carries an unpriced jacket, and shows the usual book-club blind stamp on the rear board. Do not expect a stated "First Edition" or a priced trade jacket for this title.

## Is this the true first?
No separate Doubleday trade hardcover was issued; the first US hardcover appearance was the Nelson Doubleday / Science Fiction Book Club edition. The novel was serialized in Galaxy (November 1969 to March 1970) before book publication.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book club issue IS effectively the first hardcover here, so the usual "book club versus trade" distinction does not apply; standard book-club markers (no stated first, unpriced jacket, gutter blind stamp) are present on the first hardcover itself.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Downward to the Earth* by Robert Silverberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/downward-to-the-earth
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.