# Is "Foundation and Empire" by Isaac Asimov a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov (Gnome Press, 1952) is identified by: First edition, Gnome Press, 1952 (Currey A1A). The US Gnome Press edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Gnome Press, 1952 (Currey A1A)
- First-state points: red boards lettered in black with the nebula/Galaxy device on the front board and Edd Cartier jacket art; the first-state dust jacket lists 26 titles on the rear panel
- Confirm the binding and jacket states against Currey on each copy, as multiple binding and jacket states exist
- Publisher imprint reads Gnome Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
| Publisher | Gnome Press |
| Year | 1952 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Gnome Press, 1952 (Currey A1A) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Gnome Press, 1952 (Currey A1A). First-state points: red boards lettered in black with the nebula/Galaxy device on the front board and Edd Cartier jacket art; the first-state dust jacket lists 26 titles on the rear panel. Confirm the binding and jacket states against Currey on each copy, as multiple binding and jacket states exist.

## Is this the true first?
The US Gnome Press edition is the true first. This is Volume 2 of the original Foundation trilogy.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The later Science Fiction Book Club omnibus is a reprint. Among Gnome copies, verify the Currey first-state points, since reissued bindings and a second-state jacket exist.

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