# Is "Prelude to Foundation" by Isaac Asimov a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov (Doubleday, 1988) is identified by: Do not look for a number line ending in 1; Doubleday number lines of this period never reach 1, and the Doubleday trade first does not carry a stated "First Edition" on its copyright page. The US Doubleday trade edition is the standard first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Do not look for a number line ending in 1
- Doubleday number lines of this period never reach 1, and the Doubleday trade first does not carry a stated "First Edition" on its copyright page
- The first printing is identified by the absence of any later-printing indication and the original priced trade dust jacket (raised metallic lettering, Boris Vallejo cover art)
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Do not look for a number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Do not look for a number line ending in 1; Doubleday number lines of this period never reach 1, and the Doubleday trade first does not carry a stated "First Edition" on its copyright page. The first printing is identified by the absence of any later-printing indication and the original priced trade dust jacket (raised metallic lettering, Boris Vallejo cover art).

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday trade edition is the standard first. A signed limited edition (a numbered run of 500 in full leather and slipcase, signed by Asimov) was also issued.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions show "Book Club Edition" on the front jacket flap and carry no printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Prelude to Foundation* by Isaac Asimov a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/prelude-to-foundation
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.