The points of issue
The trade first edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page together with a complete number line ending in 1. First US printing, 1980 (ISBN 0-06-014026-7). Price printed on the front jacket flap. Dust jacket art by Ron Walotsky; quarter cloth over boards. A separate signed/numbered limited edition was issued by Harper & Row itself, limited to 250 copies in the publisher's slipcase. Underwood-Miller did NOT publish this title; the related Majipoor novella The Desert of Stolen Dreams was a separate Underwood-Miller work and is sometimes confused with it.
Is this the true first?
The Harper & Row 1980 trade first edition is the true first. A simultaneous Harper & Row signed/numbered limited edition (250 copies, publisher's slipcase) was issued for collectors. There is no Underwood-Miller edition of this title; verify the Harper limitation leaf for the numbered state.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club edition shows a gutter blindstamp and an unpriced 'Book Club Edition' jacket; it lacks both the Harper number line and the limitation leaf of the numbered Harper & Row issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Lord Valentine's Castle a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The trade first edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page together with a complete number line ending in 1. First US printing, 1980 (ISBN 0-06-014026-7). Price printed on the front jacket flap. Dust jacket art by Ron Walotsky; quarter cloth over boards. A separate signed/numbered limited edition was issued by Harper & Row itself, limited to 250 copies in the publisher's slipcase. Underwood-Miller did NOT publish this title; the related Majipoor novella The Desert of Stolen Dreams was a separate Underwood-Miller work and is sometimes confused with
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The Harper & Row 1980 trade first edition is the true first. A simultaneous Harper & Row signed/numbered limited edition (250 copies, publisher's slipcase) was issued for collectors. There is no Underwood-Miller edition of this title; verify the Harper limitation leaf for the numbered state.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The Science Fiction Book Club edition shows a gutter blindstamp and an unpriced 'Book Club Edition' jacket; it lacks both the Harper number line and the limitation leaf of the numbered Harper & Row issue.
I have a first edition of Lord Valentine's Castle — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.