# Is "The Claw of the Conciliator" by Gene Wolfe a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Claw of the Conciliator by Gene Wolfe (Timescape / Simon & Schuster, 1981) is identified by: Timescape Books hardcover (a Simon & Schuster imprint); first printing carries a full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page and a priced, unclipped dust jacket. The US Timescape/Simon & Schuster 1981 hardcover is the true first; the UK Sidgwick & Jackson edition is separate.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Timescape Books hardcover (a Simon & Schuster imprint); first printing carries a full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page and a priced, unclipped dust jacket
- Second volume of The Book of the New Sun
- Publisher imprint reads Timescape / Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gene Wolfe |
| Publisher | Timescape / Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Timescape Books hardcover (a Simon & Schuster imprint); first printing carries a full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Timescape Books hardcover (a Simon & Schuster imprint); first printing carries a full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page and a priced, unclipped dust jacket. Second volume of The Book of the New Sun.

## Is this the true first?
The US Timescape/Simon & Schuster 1981 hardcover is the true first; the UK Sidgwick & Jackson edition is separate. The signed/limited editions of the New Sun volumes are distinct collectible states. Won the 1981 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1982 Locus Award.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Science Fiction Book Club edition has no price on the jacket, a blind-stamp on the rear board, lacks the trade number line, and uses thinner boards.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Claw of the Conciliator* by Gene Wolfe a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-claw-of-the-conciliator
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.