# Is "Foreigner" by C.J. Cherryh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh (DAW Books, 1994) is identified by: DAW hardcover, February 1994, subtitled on the title page as a novel of first contact and carrying DAW Book Collectors No. US DAW hardcover (early 1994) is the true first; DAW hardcovers of this period carry number lines, and the paperback followed in 1995.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- DAW hardcover, February 1994, subtitled on the title page as a novel of first contact and carrying DAW Book Collectors No
- 941 on the copyright page; first printing, with the priced dust jacket bearing Michael Whelan's cover art
- First volume of the long Foreigner sequence
- Publisher imprint reads DAW Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.J. Cherryh |
| Publisher | DAW Books |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | DAW hardcover, February 1994, subtitled on the title page as a novel of first contact and carrying DAW Book Collectors No |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
DAW hardcover, February 1994, subtitled on the title page as a novel of first contact and carrying DAW Book Collectors No. 941 on the copyright page; first printing, with the priced dust jacket bearing Michael Whelan's cover art. First volume of the long Foreigner sequence.

## Is this the true first?
US DAW hardcover (early 1994) is the true first; DAW hardcovers of this period carry number lines, and the paperback followed in 1995.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club edition exists; the SFBC issue typically lacks the printed jacket price and shows the usual club tells (blind stamp to the rear board, gutter code), distinguishing it from the DAW trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Foreigner* by C.J. Cherryh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/foreigner
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.