# Is "Have Space Suit—Will Travel" by Robert A. Heinlein a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Have Space Suit—Will Travel by Robert A. Heinlein (Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1958) is identified by: First printing shows the capital 'A' with the Scribner seal on the copyright page, with the dated printing code 'A-9.58' present; price on the front jacket flap; cloth boards. The US Scribner edition is the true first; the capital 'A' with seal is the identifying point.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing shows the capital 'A' with the Scribner seal on the copyright page, with the dated printing code 'A-9.58' present; price on the front jacket flap; cloth boards
- Last of the Heinlein Scribner juveniles
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons, New York |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing shows the capital 'A' with the Scribner seal on the copyright page, with the dated printing code 'A-9.58' present; price on… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing shows the capital 'A' with the Scribner seal on the copyright page, with the dated printing code 'A-9.58' present; price on the front jacket flap; cloth boards. Last of the Heinlein Scribner juveniles.

## Is this the true first?
The US Scribner edition is the true first; the capital 'A' with seal is the identifying point. Absence of the 'A' indicates a later state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later school-library and club reprints lack the Scribner 'A' and seal; a missing 'A' or a different imprint means it is not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Have Space Suit—Will Travel* by Robert A. Heinlein a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/have-space-suit-will-travel
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.