# Is "The Cosmic Puppets" by Philip K. Dick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Cosmic Puppets by Philip K. Dick (Ace, 1957) is identified by: Ace Double D-249, a dos-a-dos paperback original bound tete-beche back-to-back with 'Sargasso of Space' by Andre Norton writing as Andrew North. US Ace paperback original is the true first book appearance, expanded by Dick from his 1956 magazine story 'A Glass of Darkness.'

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ace Double D-249, a dos-a-dos paperback original bound tete-beche back-to-back with 'Sargasso of Space' by Andre Norton writing as Andrew North
- Full-color pictorial wrappers with the printed cover price present and page edges stained orange; the Dick half runs 127 pages
- Cover art for the Cosmic Puppets side is by Ed Valigursky (the Norton 'Sargasso of Space' side carries cover art by Ed Emshwiller, signed Emsh)
- Publisher imprint reads Ace
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip K. Dick |
| Publisher | Ace |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ace Double D-249, a dos-a-dos paperback original bound tete-beche back-to-back with 'Sargasso of Space' by Andre Norton writing as Andrew… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ace Double D-249, a dos-a-dos paperback original bound tete-beche back-to-back with 'Sargasso of Space' by Andre Norton writing as Andrew North. Full-color pictorial wrappers with the printed cover price present and page edges stained orange; the Dick half runs 127 pages. Cover art for the Cosmic Puppets side is by Ed Valigursky (the Norton 'Sargasso of Space' side carries cover art by Ed Emshwiller, signed Emsh).

## Is this the true first?
US Ace paperback original is the true first book appearance, expanded by Dick from his 1956 magazine story 'A Glass of Darkness.'

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; paperback original only. Later stand-alone reprints are distinguished by different Ace catalog numbers and cover art rather than the dos-a-dos D-249 format.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Cosmic Puppets* by Philip K. Dick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-cosmic-puppets
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.