The points of issue
First edition is the Ace paperback original, catalog number Ace M-149 (NOT F-377), 1966, with a 45-cent cover price and cover art by Jack Gaughan. Paperback original with no preceding hardcover. The Cugel the Clever sequel in the Dying Earth sequence.
Is this the true first?
The 1966 Ace M-149 paperback is the true first of this Dying Earth (Cugel) book. The first hardcover came much later. Paperback-original status is the key point.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. The traps are later Ace reprints (verify the M-149 catalog number and the 45-cent price) and the much later collected hardcovers.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Eyes of the Overworld a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition is the Ace paperback original, catalog number Ace M-149 (NOT F-377), 1966, with a 45-cent cover price and cover art by Jack Gaughan. Paperback original with no preceding hardcover. The Cugel the Clever sequel in the Dying Earth sequence.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The 1966 Ace M-149 paperback is the true first of this Dying Earth (Cugel) book. The first hardcover came much later. Paperback-original status is the key point.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. The traps are later Ace reprints (verify the M-149 catalog number and the 45-cent price) and the much later collected hardcovers.
I have a first edition of The Eyes of the Overworld — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.