# Is "Serpent's Reach" by C.J. Cherryh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Serpent's Reach by C.J. Cherryh (DAW Books, 1980) is identified by: DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors No. The US DAW paperback (August 1980) is the first trade edition and the true first as collected; a Nelson Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club hardcover actually preceded it in May 1980 but is a book-club edition, not a trade first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors No
- 396 (catalog code UE1554, ISBN 0-87997-554-8), stated First Printing, August 1980, on the copyright page
- David B. Mattingly cover art
- Publisher imprint reads DAW Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.J. Cherryh |
| Publisher | DAW Books |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors No |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors No. 396 (catalog code UE1554, ISBN 0-87997-554-8), stated First Printing, August 1980, on the copyright page; David B. Mattingly cover art.

## Is this the true first?
The US DAW paperback (August 1980) is the first trade edition and the true first as collected; a Nelson Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club hardcover actually preceded it in May 1980 but is a book-club edition, not a trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
An SFBC hardcover exists (Nelson Doubleday, May 1980); it lacks a cover price and carries a gutter code, marking it as a book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Serpent's Reach* by C.J. Cherryh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/serpents-reach
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.