# Is "Tales of Neveryon" by Samuel R. Delany a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tales of Neveryon by Samuel R. Delany (Bantam Books, 1979) is identified by: Bantam mass-market paperback original, catalog number 12333 on the cover; copyright page states Bantam edition January 1979 with no later printings noted. US Bantam paperback original (1979) is the true first; there is no earlier hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam mass-market paperback original, catalog number 12333 on the cover; copyright page states Bantam edition January 1979 with no later printings noted
- Cover art by Louis S. Glanzman
- First volume of the Return to Neveryon series
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Samuel R. Delany |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam mass-market paperback original, catalog number 12333 on the cover; copyright page states Bantam edition January 1979 with no later… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Bantam mass-market paperback original, catalog number 12333 on the cover; copyright page states Bantam edition January 1979 with no later printings noted. Cover art by Louis S. Glanzman. First volume of the Return to Neveryon series.

## Is this the true first?
US Bantam paperback original (1979) is the true first; there is no earlier hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tales of Neveryon* by Samuel R. Delany a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tales-of-neveryon
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.