# Is "Jack of Shadows" by Roger Zelazny a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny (Walker, 1971) is identified by: Walker & Company first hardcover, New York, 1971 (collating [iv]207[3] pp.); the author's first hardcover book appearance of this novel following its serialization in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, whose text differs slightly. The US Walker & Company first hardcover is the true first (first hardcover book appearance); the UK Faber edition (1972) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Walker & Company first hardcover, New York, 1971 (collating [iv]207[3] pp.); the author's first hardcover book appearance of this novel following its serialization in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, whose text differs slightly
- Bound in white boards with the title and author lettered in black on the spine
- The first-issue dust jacket bears cover art by Judith Loeser and should retain its printed price on the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Walker
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roger Zelazny |
| Publisher | Walker |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Walker & Company first hardcover, New York, 1971 (collating [iv]207[3] pp.); the author's first hardcover book appearance of this novel… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Walker & Company first hardcover, New York, 1971 (collating [iv]207[3] pp.); the author's first hardcover book appearance of this novel following its serialization in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, whose text differs slightly. Bound in white boards with the title and author lettered in black on the spine. The first-issue dust jacket bears cover art by Judith Loeser and should retain its printed price on the flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Walker & Company first hardcover is the true first (first hardcover book appearance); the UK Faber edition (1972) follows. The F&SF serialization precedes book form but differs slightly in text.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club edition exists, distributed from the Walker sheets (first club printing September 1971, SFBC catalogue number 3438, gutter code 33M); like other club printings it is more cheaply bound and its jacket omits the printed price, whereas the Walker trade first retains its printed price on the flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Jack of Shadows* by Roger Zelazny a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/jack-of-shadows
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.