# Is "The Courts of Chaos" by Roger Zelazny a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Courts of Chaos by Roger Zelazny (Doubleday, 1978) is identified by: Doubleday & Company hardcover (Garden City, 1978) with "First Edition" stated on the copyright page and the Doubleday gutter code stamped in the gutter of the last page of text; for a 1978 first printing this code takes the year letter T followed by a week number. The US Doubleday first hardcover is the true first edition, confirmed by the stated "First Edition" line together with the T-year gutter code on the last text page.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday & Company hardcover (Garden City, 1978) with "First Edition" stated on the copyright page and the Doubleday gutter code stamped in the gutter of the last page of text; for a 1978 first printing this code takes the year letter T followed by a week number
- The dust jacket, with cover art by Freff, carries its printed price
- Fifth Amber novel, completing the first Corwin cycle
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roger Zelazny |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday & Company hardcover (Garden City, 1978) with "First Edition" stated on the copyright page and the Doubleday gutter code stamped… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday & Company hardcover (Garden City, 1978) with "First Edition" stated on the copyright page and the Doubleday gutter code stamped in the gutter of the last page of text; for a 1978 first printing this code takes the year letter T followed by a week number. The dust jacket, with cover art by Freff, carries its printed price. Fifth Amber novel, completing the first Corwin cycle.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday first hardcover is the true first edition, confirmed by the stated "First Edition" line together with the T-year gutter code on the last text page.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the "First Edition" statement and the priced jacket, carry no trade gutter code, and typically show a blind stamp on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Courts of Chaos* by Roger Zelazny a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-courts-of-chaos
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.