# Is "Space Cadet" by Robert A. Heinlein a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Space Cadet by Robert A. Heinlein (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1948) is identified by: New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1948. The US Charles Scribner's Sons first edition is the true first; the 'A' with the Scribner seal on the copyright page identifies the first printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1948
- The first printing carries the Scribner's capital 'A' together with the Scribner seal on the copyright page
- Bound in dark blue cloth stamped in light blue, and illustrated by Clifford N. Geary
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap and should be present and unclipped for a complete first-state jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1948 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1948 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1948. The first printing carries the Scribner's capital 'A' together with the Scribner seal on the copyright page. Bound in dark blue cloth stamped in light blue, and illustrated by Clifford N. Geary. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap and should be present and unclipped for a complete first-state jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The US Charles Scribner's Sons first edition is the true first; the 'A' with the Scribner seal on the copyright page identifies the first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings lack the 'A' on the copyright page; the jacket price is a further first-issue tell.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Space Cadet* by Robert A. Heinlein a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/space-cadet
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.