# Is "Empire Star" by Samuel R. Delany a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Empire Star by Samuel R. Delany (Ace Books, 1966) is identified by: Ace Double M-139 (February 1966), a paperback original bound dos-a-dos with Tom Purdom's 'The Tree Lord of Imeten'. US Ace Double M-139 (February 1966) is the true first; the novella had no prior separate publication.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ace Double M-139 (February 1966), a paperback original bound dos-a-dos with Tom Purdom's 'The Tree Lord of Imeten'
- First-state points: the M-139 catalog number and the stated cover price appear on the wrappers; the Empire Star cover art is by Jack Gaughan and the reverse Tree Lord of Imeten cover is by John Schoenherr
- As an Ace Double there is no dust jacket and no number line; the M-139 designation itself identifies the first printing
- Publisher imprint reads Ace Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Samuel R. Delany |
| Publisher | Ace Books |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ace Double M-139 (February 1966), a paperback original bound dos-a-dos with Tom Purdom's 'The Tree Lord of Imeten' |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ace Double M-139 (February 1966), a paperback original bound dos-a-dos with Tom Purdom's 'The Tree Lord of Imeten'. First-state points: the M-139 catalog number and the stated cover price appear on the wrappers; the Empire Star cover art is by Jack Gaughan and the reverse Tree Lord of Imeten cover is by John Schoenherr. As an Ace Double there is no dust jacket and no number line; the M-139 designation itself identifies the first printing.

## Is this the true first?
US Ace Double M-139 (February 1966) is the true first; the novella had no prior separate publication. Delany originally hoped to pair Empire Star with Babel-17, but it was issued back-to-back with Purdom's novel instead.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of the Ace Double; later separate reprintings of Empire Star are clearly distinguished by their own imprints and lack the M-139 dos-a-dos format.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Empire Star* by Samuel R. Delany a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/empire-star
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.