# Is "The Deep Range" by Arthur C. Clarke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Deep Range by Arthur C. Clarke (Harcourt, Brace, 1957) is identified by: The first edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page (Harcourt practice of this era), accompanied by the printing code 'B.4.57'. US Harcourt, Brace first, 1957; a UK Frederick Muller edition also appeared the same year (1957), so the Harcourt is the US first rather than the sole 1957 issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page (Harcourt practice of this era), accompanied by the printing code 'B.4.57'
- It is bound in green textured boards with silver spine lettering; octavo, 238 pages, with the dust-jacket art by Edgar Parker, the jacket retaining its printed front-flap price
- An expansion of an earlier short story into a novel
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Arthur C. Clarke |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page (Harcourt practice of this era), accompanied by the printing code 'B.4.57' |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page (Harcourt practice of this era), accompanied by the printing code 'B.4.57'. It is bound in green textured boards with silver spine lettering; octavo, 238 pages, with the dust-jacket art by Edgar Parker, the jacket retaining its printed front-flap price. An expansion of an earlier short story into a novel.

## Is this the true first?
US Harcourt, Brace first, 1957; a UK Frederick Muller edition also appeared the same year (1957), so the Harcourt is the US first rather than the sole 1957 issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition lacks the flap price and bears a small blindstamp on the rear board; it may still carry a 'First Edition' line, so the blindstamp and absent price are the reliable tells.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Deep Range* by Arthur C. Clarke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-deep-range
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.