# Is "The Dispossessed" by Ursula K. Le Guin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin (Harper & Row, 1974) is identified by: First printing has 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page, and the number line beginning at 1 is printed on the last page of the text (later printings begin 2, 3, and so on). US Harper & Row, published May 1974, is the true first, preceding the UK Gollancz edition later in 1974.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page, and the number line beginning at 1 is printed on the last page of the text (later printings begin 2, 3, and so on)
- Octavo in cloth-backed boards; the first-issue dust jacket retains its printed front-flap price
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ursula K. Le Guin |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page, and the number line beginning at 1 is printed on the last page of the text… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page, and the number line beginning at 1 is printed on the last page of the text (later printings begin 2, 3, and so on). Octavo in cloth-backed boards; the first-issue dust jacket retains its printed front-flap price.

## Is this the true first?
US Harper & Row, published May 1974, is the true first, preceding the UK Gollancz edition later in 1974. Hugo and Nebula winner. Originally issued as The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
SFBC: 'Book Club Edition' on the flap, no printed price, blind-stamped dot on the rear board, cheaper paper.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Dispossessed* by Ursula K. Le Guin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-dispossessed
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.