# Is "Dr. Futurity" by Philip K. Dick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Dr. Futurity by Philip K. Dick (Ace, 1960) is identified by: Ace Double D-421, a paperback original in pictorial wrappers, bound tête-bêche (dos-à-dos) with John Brunner's Slavers of Space. The US Ace Double paperback original (D-421) is the true first book appearance.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ace Double D-421, a paperback original in pictorial wrappers, bound tête-bêche (dos-à-dos) with John Brunner's Slavers of Space
- Published February 1960 with the cover price printed as the printed price
- The Dick text runs 138 pages and the Brunner text 118 pages; the Dick cover art is by Ed Valigursky
- As a 1960 Ace paperback original there is no number line — the D-421 catalogue number on the wrapper and spine and the stated the printed price are the identifying points; any different Ace serial number or price indicates a later printing or reissue
- Publisher imprint reads Ace
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip K. Dick |
| Publisher | Ace |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ace Double D-421, a paperback original in pictorial wrappers, bound tête-bêche (dos-à-dos) with John Brunner's Slavers of Space |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ace Double D-421, a paperback original in pictorial wrappers, bound tête-bêche (dos-à-dos) with John Brunner's Slavers of Space. Published February 1960 with the cover price printed as the printed price. The Dick text runs 138 pages and the Brunner text 118 pages; the Dick cover art is by Ed Valigursky. As a 1960 Ace paperback original there is no number line — the D-421 catalogue number on the wrapper and spine and the stated the printed price are the identifying points; any different Ace serial number or price indicates a later printing or reissue.

## Is this the true first?
The US Ace Double paperback original (D-421) is the true first book appearance. The novel is an expansion of the earlier story Time Pawn, published in the Summer 1954 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Later Ace reissues carry a different serial number and price rather than D-421 at the printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Dr. Futurity* by Philip K. Dick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/dr-futurity
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.