# Is "The Crack in Space" by Philip K. Dick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Crack in Space by Philip K. Dick (Ace, 1966) is identified by: Ace paperback original, catalog number F-377, February 1966; pictorial wrappers with cover art by Jerome Podwil and a the printed price printed on the front cover; roughly 16.5 cm tall, 190 pages, with the characteristic yellow-stained top edge. US Ace paperback original (F-377) is the true first edition; the novel had no prior hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ace paperback original, catalog number F-377, February 1966; pictorial wrappers with cover art by Jerome Podwil and a the printed price printed on the front cover; roughly 16.5 cm tall, 190 pages, with the characteristic yellow-stained top edge
- Being a paperback original, there is no number line; the F-377 catalog code and the printed price cover price fix the first printing
- Cited as Currey 158
- Publisher imprint reads Ace
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip K. Dick |
| Publisher | Ace |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ace paperback original, catalog number F-377, February 1966; pictorial wrappers with cover art by Jerome Podwil and a the printed price… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ace paperback original, catalog number F-377, February 1966; pictorial wrappers with cover art by Jerome Podwil and a the printed price printed on the front cover; roughly 16.5 cm tall, 190 pages, with the characteristic yellow-stained top edge. Being a paperback original, there is no number line; the F-377 catalog code and the printed price cover price fix the first printing. Cited as Currey 158.

## Is this the true first?
US Ace paperback original (F-377) is the true first edition; the novel had no prior hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Later Ace reissues carry different catalog numbers and higher printed cover prices, so the F-377 code with the printed price distinguishes the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Crack in Space* by Philip K. Dick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-crack-in-space
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.