# Is "The Bridge of Lost Desire (later 'Return to Neveryon')" by Samuel R. Delany a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Bridge of Lost Desire (later 'Return to Neveryon') by Samuel R. Delany (Arbor House, 1987) is identified by: Arbor House hardcover; green cloth over blue paper-covered boards, spine stamped in gilt; priced dust jacket with Ned Dameron art; copyright page must not indicate a later printing. US Arbor House hardcover (1987) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Arbor House hardcover; green cloth over blue paper-covered boards, spine stamped in gilt; priced dust jacket with Ned Dameron art; copyright page must not indicate a later printing
- Fourth and concluding Neveryon volume; later reissued under the title Return to Neveryon
- Publisher imprint reads Arbor House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Samuel R. Delany |
| Publisher | Arbor House |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Arbor House hardcover; green cloth over blue paper-covered boards, spine stamped in gilt; priced dust jacket with Ned Dameron art… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Arbor House hardcover; green cloth over blue paper-covered boards, spine stamped in gilt; priced dust jacket with Ned Dameron art; copyright page must not indicate a later printing. Fourth and concluding Neveryon volume; later reissued under the title Return to Neveryon.

## Is this the true first?
US Arbor House hardcover (1987) is the true first.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Bridge of Lost Desire (later 'Return to Neveryon')* by Samuel R. Delany a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-bridge-of-lost-desire-later-return-to-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.