# Is "Foundation's Edge" by Isaac Asimov a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov (Doubleday, 1982) is identified by: Doubleday states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing line; first-state copies show the gutter code on the final text leaf (reported as code on page 365). The US Doubleday 1982 trade hardcover is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing line; first-state copies show the gutter code on the final text leaf (reported as code on page 365)
- First-issue dust jacket carries the printed cover price
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing line; first-state copies show the gutter code on the final… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing line; first-state copies show the gutter code on the final text leaf (reported as code on page 365). First-issue dust jacket carries the printed cover price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday 1982 trade hardcover is the true first edition. The UK Granada edition (1983) is later. A Whispers Press signed limited edition (1982) was issued in 1,000 numbered copies plus 26 lettered copies, signed by Asimov and publisher Stuart Schiff; it is a contemporaneous signed-limited 'first thus' rather than the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club edition lacks the 'First Edition' statement, shows the blind-stamp on the rear board with a gutter code, uses cheaper boards, and carries a club jacket with no printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Foundation's Edge* by Isaac Asimov a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/foundations-edge
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.