# Is "Survivor" by Octavia E. Butler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Survivor by Octavia E. Butler (Doubleday, 1978) is identified by: Doubleday (Garden City, NY) hardcover, 1978, with First Edition stated on the copyright page; 185 pages. US Doubleday hardcover (1978) is the true first and the scarcest Patternist title.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday (Garden City, NY) hardcover, 1978, with First Edition stated on the copyright page
- 185 pages
- Bound in saffron-orange boards stamped in black
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped
- Third and final Patternist novel published, and Butler's scarcest
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Octavia E. Butler |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday (Garden City, NY) hardcover, 1978, with First Edition stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday (Garden City, NY) hardcover, 1978, with First Edition stated on the copyright page; 185 pages. Bound in saffron-orange boards stamped in black. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped. Third and final Patternist novel published, and Butler's scarcest.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday hardcover (1978) is the true first and the scarcest Patternist title. Butler disowned the novel and refused to authorize reprints after its initial editions, so no later hardcover trade printings exist.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the front-flap printed price and typically shows a blind stamp on the rear board; it is often slightly smaller and on cheaper bulking paper than the Doubleday first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Survivor* by Octavia E. Butler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/survivor
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.