# Is "Parable of the Sower" by Octavia E. Butler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Four Walls Eight Windows, New York, 1993) is identified by: First hardcover stating 'A Four Walls Eight Windows First Edition' on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1; priced jacket on the front flap; textured black paper-covered boards with gilt spine lettering and publisher's emblem. The US Four Walls Eight Windows hardcover is the true first, preceding the UK Women's Press edition and all paperbacks.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First hardcover stating 'A Four Walls Eight Windows First Edition' on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1; priced jacket on the front flap; textured black paper-covered boards with gilt spine lettering and publisher's emblem
- Publisher imprint reads Four Walls Eight Windows, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Octavia E. Butler |
| Publisher | Four Walls Eight Windows, New York |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First hardcover stating 'A Four Walls Eight Windows First Edition' on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First hardcover stating 'A Four Walls Eight Windows First Edition' on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1; priced jacket on the front flap; textured black paper-covered boards with gilt spine lettering and publisher's emblem.

## Is this the true first?
The US Four Walls Eight Windows hardcover is the true first, preceding the UK Women's Press edition and all paperbacks. As a small-press title the hardcover first is scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No standard book-club issue under the small-press imprint; later trade-paperback and reprint editions are not the first. Confirm the stated 'A Four Walls Eight Windows First Edition' line and the number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Parable of the Sower* by Octavia E. Butler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/parable-of-the-sower
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.