# Is "Over the Edge" by Harlan Ellison a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Over the Edge by Harlan Ellison (Belmont, 1970) is identified by: Belmont Books paperback original, first printing 1970, catalog number B75-1091, with wraparound cover art by Leo and Diane Dillon. US Belmont paperback original (1970) is the true first; issued only in wrappers.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Belmont Books paperback original, first printing 1970, catalog number B75-1091, with wraparound cover art by Leo and Diane Dillon
- A collection of twelve stories with an introduction by Norman Spinrad
- The Dillon cover is the first-printing point
- Publisher imprint reads Belmont
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Harlan Ellison |
| Publisher | Belmont |
| Year | 1970 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Belmont Books paperback original, first printing 1970, catalog number B75-1091, with wraparound cover art by Leo and Diane Dillon |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Belmont Books paperback original, first printing 1970, catalog number B75-1091, with wraparound cover art by Leo and Diane Dillon. A collection of twelve stories with an introduction by Norman Spinrad. The Dillon cover is the first-printing point.

## Is this the true first?
US Belmont paperback original (1970) is the true first; issued only in wrappers.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. A later Belmont printing (October 1972) replaced the Dillon cover with new art by Robert Foster and carries a later printing statement — the swapped cover art is the key later-printing tell.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Over the Edge* by Harlan Ellison a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/over-the-edge
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.