# Is "Nova" by Samuel R. Delany a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Nova by Samuel R. Delany (Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY, 1968) is identified by: First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no book-club gutter code. The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first, preceding the UK Gollancz issue and all paperbacks.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no book-club gutter code
- Quarter pink and black cloth with gilt spine lettering; price on the front jacket flap in the Russell FitzGerald illustrated wrapper
- One of Delany's few first-appearance hardcovers
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Samuel R. Delany |
| Publisher | Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no book-club gutter code |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no book-club gutter code. Quarter pink and black cloth with gilt spine lettering; price on the front jacket flap in the Russell FitzGerald illustrated wrapper. One of Delany's few first-appearance hardcovers.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first, preceding the UK Gollancz issue and all paperbacks. The 'First Edition' statement with no gutter code denotes the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Doubleday book-club issue carries the blindstamped gutter code on the rear board and an unpriced 'Book Club Edition' jacket on thinner boards. Note a textual point: the trade first omits roughly a page of text late in the book, which the later club issue restored.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Nova* by Samuel R. Delany a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/nova
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.