# Is "The Changing Land" by Roger Zelazny a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Changing Land by Roger Zelazny (Del Rey / Ballantine; Underwood-Miller, 1981) is identified by: The Del Rey / Ballantine mass-market paperback original (April 1981, cover art by Michael Herring) is the first published edition. The Del Rey paperback original preceded the Underwood-Miller hardcover; the Underwood-Miller signed/limited is the collectible first hardcover but not the first published form.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Del Rey / Ballantine mass-market paperback original (April 1981, cover art by Michael Herring) is the first published edition
- The Underwood-Miller hardcover, illustrated by Thomas Canty, is a signed, numbered limited edition of 200 copies signed by Zelazny and Canty on the limitation page and is the first hardcover
- Publisher imprint reads Del Rey / Ballantine; Underwood-Miller
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roger Zelazny |
| Publisher | Del Rey / Ballantine; Underwood-Miller |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Del Rey / Ballantine mass-market paperback original (April 1981, cover art by Michael Herring) is the first published edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The Del Rey / Ballantine mass-market paperback original (April 1981, cover art by Michael Herring) is the first published edition. The Underwood-Miller hardcover, illustrated by Thomas Canty, is a signed, numbered limited edition of 200 copies signed by Zelazny and Canty on the limitation page and is the first hardcover.

## Is this the true first?
The Del Rey paperback original preceded the Underwood-Miller hardcover; the Underwood-Miller signed/limited is the collectible first hardcover but not the first published form.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Del Rey hardcover book club edition also exists and is not a true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Changing Land* by Roger Zelazny a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-changing-land
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.