# Is "Roadmarks" by Roger Zelazny a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Roadmarks by Roger Zelazny (Del Rey / Ballantine, 1979) is identified by: First edition, first printing in hardcover from Del Rey / Ballantine (New York, 1979; 185 pages; ISBN 0345285301), with "First Edition" and the number line present on the copyright page. US Del Rey hardcover is the true first edition (published October 12, 1979).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing in hardcover from Del Rey / Ballantine (New York, 1979
- 185 pages
- ISBN 0345285301), with "First Edition" and the number line present on the copyright page
- Bound in quarter cream cloth over rust paper-covered boards, stamped in copper
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price (unclipped preferred)
- Publisher imprint reads Del Rey / Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roger Zelazny |
| Publisher | Del Rey / Ballantine |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing in hardcover from Del Rey / Ballantine (New York, 1979 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing in hardcover from Del Rey / Ballantine (New York, 1979; 185 pages; ISBN 0345285301), with "First Edition" and the number line present on the copyright page. Bound in quarter cream cloth over rust paper-covered boards, stamped in copper. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price (unclipped preferred).

## Is this the true first?
US Del Rey hardcover is the true first edition (published October 12, 1979).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club hardcover exists, identified by the absence of a printed jacket price, a blind-stamped code dot to the rear board, and the lighter book-club board bulk; not a true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Roadmarks* by Roger Zelazny a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/roadmarks
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.