# Is "Our Lady of Darkness" by Fritz Leiber a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1977) is identified by: US Putnam first hardcover, 1977, with a 1977 copyright and no later-printing statement or reprint line. The US Putnam hardcover is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Putnam first hardcover, 1977, with a 1977 copyright and no later-printing statement or reprint line
- Dealer-confirmed first printings carry the original price on the jacket
- World Fantasy Award winner
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Fritz Leiber |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Putnam first hardcover, 1977, with a 1977 copyright and no later-printing statement or reprint line |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US Putnam first hardcover, 1977, with a 1977 copyright and no later-printing statement or reprint line. Dealer-confirmed first printings carry the original price on the jacket. World Fantasy Award winner (1978).

## Is this the true first?
The US Putnam hardcover is the true first edition. The novel expands Leiber's earlier novella 'The Pale Brown Thing.' An uncorrected proof of the first edition exists and precedes the trade issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club edition dominates this title; the principal trap is the later mass-market paperback rather than a BCE. Confirm the Putnam imprint, 1977 date, and a priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Our Lady of Darkness* by Fritz Leiber a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/our-lady-of-darkness
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.