# Is "Martian Time-Slip" by Philip K. Dick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Martian Time-Slip by Philip K. Dick (Ballantine, 1964) is identified by: Ballantine paperback original, catalogue number U2191, issued April 27, 1964, in pictorial wrappers with cover art by Ralph Brillhart. US Ballantine paperback original is the true first book appearance.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ballantine paperback original, catalogue number U2191, issued April 27, 1964, in pictorial wrappers with cover art by Ralph Brillhart
- As a paperback original the point is the printed catalogue number and cover price on the front wrapper; no number line applies
- First state has the price printed on the front cover and Ballantine's U2191 designation intact
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip K. Dick |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ballantine paperback original, catalogue number U2191, issued April 27, 1964, in pictorial wrappers with cover art by Ralph Brillhart |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ballantine paperback original, catalogue number U2191, issued April 27, 1964, in pictorial wrappers with cover art by Ralph Brillhart. As a paperback original the point is the printed catalogue number and cover price on the front wrapper; no number line applies. First state has the price printed on the front cover and Ballantine's U2191 designation intact.

## Is this the true first?
US Ballantine paperback original is the true first book appearance. Earlier serialized as All We Marsmen in Worlds of Tomorrow (August, October, December 1963), which precedes only in periodical form; the book text is expanded from the serial.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; a later Gregg Press hardcover appeared well after and is easily distinguished by its cloth binding and library-format board covers.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Martian Time-Slip* by Philip K. Dick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/martian-time-slip
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.