# Is "Forward the Foundation" by Isaac Asimov a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov (Doubleday, 1993) is identified by: Do not look for a number line ending in 1 or a stated "First Edition". The US Doubleday trade edition is the standard commercially issued first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Do not look for a number line ending in 1 or a stated "First Edition"
- The Doubleday first printing carries neither: the copyright-page number line begins at 2 and there is no "First Edition" statement, because first-edition rights had been assigned to Easton Press (whose signed edition was never completed owing to Asimov's final illness)
- The first printing is identified by that line beginning with 2 and the original priced trade dust jacket
- Published posthumously
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Do not look for a number line ending in 1 or a stated "First Edition" |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Do not look for a number line ending in 1 or a stated "First Edition". The Doubleday first printing carries neither: the copyright-page number line begins at 2 and there is no "First Edition" statement, because first-edition rights had been assigned to Easton Press (whose signed edition was never completed owing to Asimov's final illness). The first printing is identified by that line beginning with 2 and the original priced trade dust jacket. Published posthumously.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday trade edition is the standard commercially issued first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions are identified by "Book Club Edition" on the front jacket flap and the absence of a printed price; treat this point cautiously and confirm against the jacket itself.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Forward the Foundation* by Isaac Asimov a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/forward-the-foundation
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.