# Is "Methuselah's Children" by Robert A. Heinlein a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Methuselah's Children by Robert A. Heinlein (Gnome Press, 1958) is identified by: Gnome Press first; first book form of the Lazarus Long material. US Gnome Press first book appearance; an Astounding Science-Fiction serialization (1941) precedes it in periodical form.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Gnome Press first; first book form of the Lazarus Long material
- First-state dust jacket priced 3.00 on the front flap and lists roughly 35 titles on the rear panel, with the full Gnome Press address
- Black boards, spine lettered
- Publisher imprint reads Gnome Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Publisher | Gnome Press |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gnome Press first; first book form of the Lazarus Long material |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Gnome Press first; first book form of the Lazarus Long material. First-state dust jacket priced 3.00 on the front flap and lists roughly 35 titles on the rear panel, with the full Gnome Press address. Black boards, spine lettered.

## Is this the true first?
US Gnome Press first book appearance; an Astounding Science-Fiction serialization (1941) precedes it in periodical form. Heinlein revised and expanded the text for this book edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition under the Gnome imprint; reprints lack the Gnome Press imprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Methuselah's Children* by Robert A. Heinlein a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/methuselahs-children
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.