# Is "Reach for Tomorrow" by Arthur C. Clarke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Reach for Tomorrow by Arthur C. Clarke (Ballantine, 1956) is identified by: Ballantine first, 1956, issued simultaneously in hardcover (cloth) and paperback (Ballantine number 135). US Ballantine first; the title appeared first in this Ballantine edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ballantine first, 1956, issued simultaneously in hardcover (cloth) and paperback (Ballantine number 135)
- Clarke's second story collection, twelve tales
- Cover art by Richard Powers
- Among hardcover copies a cloth-color variant is noted, with yellow cloth scarcer than the more common green
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Arthur C. Clarke |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ballantine first, 1956, issued simultaneously in hardcover (cloth) and paperback (Ballantine number 135) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ballantine first, 1956, issued simultaneously in hardcover (cloth) and paperback (Ballantine number 135). Clarke's second story collection, twelve tales. Cover art by Richard Powers. Among hardcover copies a cloth-color variant is noted, with yellow cloth scarcer than the more common green.

## Is this the true first?
US Ballantine first; the title appeared first in this Ballantine edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition relevant to identification here; later paperback printings are numbered and stated.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Reach for Tomorrow* by Arthur C. Clarke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/reach-for-tomorrow
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.