# Is "Rusalka" by C.J. Cherryh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Rusalka by C.J. Cherryh (Del Rey/Ballantine, 1989) is identified by: Del Rey hardcover (a Del Rey Book, Ballantine Books), published October 1989. The US Del Rey hardcover (October 1989) is the true first edition; the UK Methuen hardcover followed in 1990 and does not carry the Del Rey first-printing statement.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Del Rey hardcover (a Del Rey Book, Ballantine Books), published October 1989
- The copyright page of the first printing carries the statement First Edition: October 1989 followed by a full descending number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
- Issued in a pictorial dust jacket bearing the printed price at the top of the front flap; a price-present jacket is the expected first-state, though later trade printings retain the artwork
- First volume of the Russian Stories sequence
- Publisher imprint reads Del Rey/Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.J. Cherryh |
| Publisher | Del Rey/Ballantine |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Del Rey hardcover (a Del Rey Book, Ballantine Books), published October 1989 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Del Rey hardcover (a Del Rey Book, Ballantine Books), published October 1989. The copyright page of the first printing carries the statement First Edition: October 1989 followed by a full descending number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Issued in a pictorial dust jacket bearing the printed price at the top of the front flap; a price-present jacket is the expected first-state, though later trade printings retain the artwork. First volume of the Russian Stories sequence.

## Is this the true first?
The US Del Rey hardcover (October 1989) is the true first edition; the UK Methuen hardcover followed in 1990 and does not carry the Del Rey first-printing statement.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club edition exists and is the common confusion: it is a smaller, lighter-weight volume with no printed price on the jacket flap, lacks the First Edition: October 1989 line and descending number line of the Del Rey trade issue, and often shows a blind-stamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Rusalka* by C.J. Cherryh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/rusalka
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.