# Is "Kindred" by Octavia E. Butler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY, 1979) is identified by: First Doubleday hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; brown paper-covered boards over black spine cloth lettered in gilt; price present on the front jacket flap. The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first, preceding the 1988 Beacon Press reissue and all paperbacks.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Doubleday hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; brown paper-covered boards over black spine cloth lettered in gilt; price present on the front jacket flap
- Larry Schwinger jacket art
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Octavia E. Butler |
| Publisher | Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Doubleday hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; brown paper-covered boards over black spine cloth lettered in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First Doubleday hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; brown paper-covered boards over black spine cloth lettered in gilt; price present on the front jacket flap. Larry Schwinger jacket art.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first, preceding the 1988 Beacon Press reissue and all paperbacks. The stated 'First Edition' line is the key point.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club edition carries an unpriced 'Book Club Edition' jacket and a small blindstamp on the lower corner of the rear board, with thinner boards; it lacks the priced jacket of the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Kindred* by Octavia E. Butler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/kindred
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.