# Is "The Caves of Steel" by Isaac Asimov a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov (Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY, 1954) is identified by: First edition stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing indication. US Doubleday is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing indication
- First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price (2.95) on the front flap
- Binding is publisher's dark blue leatherette/cloth with the spine lettered in red and red topstain (per Currey)
- Jacket art by Ruth Ray
- First book in Asimov's Robot series; expanded from the Galaxy serialization
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
| Publisher | Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY |
| Year | 1954 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing indication |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing indication. First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price (2.95) on the front flap. Binding is publisher's dark blue leatherette/cloth with the spine lettered in red and red topstain (per Currey). Jacket art by Ruth Ray. First book in Asimov's Robot series; expanded from the Galaxy serialization.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday is the true first. The British T.V. Boardman hardcover (1954) and later paperbacks follow it. Doubleday science-fiction firsts carry an explicit 'First Edition' statement and use no number line.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Doubleday/Science Fiction Book Club edition is identified by a blind-stamp gutter code on the lower corner of the rear board and by the absence of a printed price; its boards and paper are noticeably cheaper stock and the jacket flap is unpriced (often marked 'Book Club Edition').

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Caves of Steel* by Isaac Asimov a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-caves-of-steel
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.