# Is "Forty Thousand in Gehenna" by C.J. Cherryh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Forty Thousand in Gehenna by C.J. Cherryh (Phantasia Press, 1983) is identified by: Phantasia Press hardcover, single printing, issued in two states: a trade issue and a signed/numbered limited issue of 350 copies signed by Cherryh on the limitation page. US Phantasia Press hardcover (October 1983, ISBN 0932096263) is the true first; the DAW Books paperback followed in 1984.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Phantasia Press hardcover, single printing, issued in two states: a trade issue and a signed/numbered limited issue of 350 copies signed by Cherryh on the limitation page
- Both carry a wraparound dust jacket illustrated by Phil Parks, with interior illustrations and maps
- The jacket should carry its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Phantasia Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.J. Cherryh |
| Publisher | Phantasia Press |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Phantasia Press hardcover, single printing, issued in two states: a trade issue and a signed/numbered limited issue of 350 copies signed by… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Phantasia Press hardcover, single printing, issued in two states: a trade issue and a signed/numbered limited issue of 350 copies signed by Cherryh on the limitation page. Both carry a wraparound dust jacket illustrated by Phil Parks, with interior illustrations and maps. The jacket should carry its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US Phantasia Press hardcover (October 1983, ISBN 0932096263) is the true first; the DAW Books paperback followed in 1984. An Alliance-Union universe novel, one of the few told from the Union side.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Forty Thousand in Gehenna* by C.J. Cherryh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/forty-thousand-in-gehenna
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.