# Is "The Beginning Place" by Ursula K. Le Guin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Beginning Place by Ursula K. Le Guin (Harper & Row, 1980) is identified by: US Harper & Row hardcover, 1980, 183 pp. The US Harper & Row hardcover is the true first edition; the UK edition (Gollancz, retitled Threshold) is a later, separate printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Harper & Row hardcover, 1980, 183 pp
- The first printing has the complete number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page, in a priced dust jacket with cover art by Griesbach/Martucci
- Published in the UK under the alternate title Threshold
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ursula K. Le Guin |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Harper & Row hardcover, 1980, 183 pp |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Harper & Row hardcover, 1980, 183 pp. The first printing has the complete number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page, in a priced dust jacket with cover art by Griesbach/Martucci. Published in the UK under the alternate title Threshold.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harper & Row hardcover is the true first edition; the UK edition (Gollancz, retitled Threshold) is a later, separate printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the terminal-1 number line and the printed jacket price, and are typically on thinner boards with blindstamped/gutter-code tells; the Harper & Row trade first shows the full number line to 1 and a priced Griesbach/Martucci jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Beginning Place* by Ursula K. Le Guin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-beginning-place
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.