# Is "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert A. Heinlein a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1961) is identified by: First printing has the publisher's code 'C22' in the gutter at the foot of page 408. US Putnam is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the publisher's code 'C22' in the gutter at the foot of page 408
- Green cloth, spine stamped gilt, green top-stain
- No statement of printing on copyright page
- First-issue jacket with its printed price, with Heinlein's photo on the rear flap and a Starship Troopers ad/blurbs on the rear panel
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the publisher's code 'C22' in the gutter at the foot of page 408 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has the publisher's code 'C22' in the gutter at the foot of page 408. Green cloth, spine stamped gilt, green top-stain. No statement of printing on copyright page. First-issue jacket with its printed price, with Heinlein's photo on the rear flap and a Starship Troopers ad/blurbs on the rear panel.

## Is this the true first?
US Putnam is the true first. The originally published (cut) text is the first; the later 'uncut/original' 1990 edition is a 'first thus,' not the true first. The C22 code on p.408 is the decisive point.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The SFBC edition has 'Book Club Edition' on the jacket flap, no the printed price, lacks the C22 code on p.408, is smaller/lighter, and shows a blind-stamped dot on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Stranger in a Strange Land* by Robert A. Heinlein a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/stranger-in-a-strange-land
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.