# Is "Shadrach in the Furnace" by Robert Silverberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Shadrach in the Furnace by Robert Silverberg (Bobbs-Merrill, 1976) is identified by: US Bobbs-Merrill first hardcover, 1976, an octavo of 245 pages bound in red cloth over yellow papered boards with the spine stamped in gold. The US Bobbs-Merrill hardcover is the first book edition; the novel first appeared serialized in Analog Science Fiction and Fact across the August, September and October 1976 issues.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Bobbs-Merrill first hardcover, 1976, an octavo of 245 pages bound in red cloth over yellow papered boards with the spine stamped in gold
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap; a true first is price-present and unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Bobbs-Merrill
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Silverberg |
| Publisher | Bobbs-Merrill |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Bobbs-Merrill first hardcover, 1976, an octavo of 245 pages bound in red cloth over yellow papered boards with the spine stamped in gold |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Bobbs-Merrill first hardcover, 1976, an octavo of 245 pages bound in red cloth over yellow papered boards with the spine stamped in gold. The first-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap; a true first is price-present and unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The US Bobbs-Merrill hardcover is the first book edition; the novel first appeared serialized in Analog Science Fiction and Fact across the August, September and October 1976 issues.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions are typically identified by a blind stamp or gutter code on the rear board and by a jacket bearing no printed price on the flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Shadrach in the Furnace* by Robert Silverberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/shadrach-in-the-furnace
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.