The points of issue
First edition, John Lane The Bodley Head, 1938. Copyright page reads 'First published in 1938' with no later reprint history. Octavo bound in brick-red cloth, title in gilt on spine, top edge stained. First volume of the Ransom (Space) Trilogy. Genuine firsts are scarce in the original dust jacket.
Is this the true first?
The UK Bodley Head edition is the true first. The US Macmillan edition did not appear until 1943, years later. First printings in jacket are scarce.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions and reprints carry a printing history on the verso of the title leaf. US Macmillan and book-club copies postdate the UK first by years and are not the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Out of the Silent Planet a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, John Lane The Bodley Head, 1938. Copyright page reads 'First published in 1938' with no later reprint history. Octavo bound in brick-red cloth, title in gilt on spine, top edge stained. First volume of the Ransom (Space) Trilogy. Genuine firsts are scarce in the original dust jacket.
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 UK Bodley Head edition is the true first. The US Macmillan edition did not appear until 1943, years later. First printings in jacket are scarce.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions and reprints carry a printing history on the verso of the title leaf. US Macmillan and book-club copies postdate the UK first by years and are not the true first.
I have a first edition of Out of the Silent Planet — 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.