# Is "Protector" by Larry Niven a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Protector by Larry Niven (Ballantine, 1973) is identified by: Ballantine paperback original, catalog number 23486, with 'First Printing: September, 1973' on the copyright page and Dean Ellis wraparound cover art. US Ballantine paperback original is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ballantine paperback original, catalog number 23486, with 'First Printing: September, 1973' on the copyright page and Dean Ellis wraparound cover art
- Incorporates the earlier story 'The Adults' (Galaxy) as its first section
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Larry Niven |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ballantine paperback original, catalog number 23486, with 'First Printing: September, 1973' on the copyright page and Dean Ellis wraparound… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ballantine paperback original, catalog number 23486, with 'First Printing: September, 1973' on the copyright page and Dean Ellis wraparound cover art. Incorporates the earlier story 'The Adults' (Galaxy) as its first section.

## Is this the true first?
US Ballantine paperback original is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Protector* by Larry Niven a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/protector
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.