# Is "The Flying Sorcerers" by Larry Niven a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Flying Sorcerers by Larry Niven (Ballantine, 1971) is identified by: Ballantine Books paperback original, catalog number 02331, August 1971; pictorial wraps carrying the original Ballantine cover price. US Ballantine paperback original is the true first, identified by catalog number 02331 and the August 1971 dating.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ballantine Books paperback original, catalog number 02331, August 1971; pictorial wraps carrying the original Ballantine cover price
- Co-written with David Gerrold, 316 pages, with cover art credited to Vincent Di Fate
- Expanded from the magazine serial 'The Misspelled Magishun' (If, 1970)
- The first printing carries the 02331 catalog number and the original price on the wraps
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Larry Niven |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ballantine Books paperback original, catalog number 02331, August 1971; pictorial wraps carrying the original Ballantine cover price |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ballantine Books paperback original, catalog number 02331, August 1971; pictorial wraps carrying the original Ballantine cover price. Co-written with David Gerrold, 316 pages, with cover art credited to Vincent Di Fate. Expanded from the magazine serial 'The Misspelled Magishun' (If, 1970). The first printing carries the 02331 catalog number and the original price on the wraps.

## Is this the true first?
US Ballantine paperback original is the true first, identified by catalog number 02331 and the August 1971 dating.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Later printings retain the title but update the catalog number, price, or printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Flying Sorcerers* by Larry Niven a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-flying-sorcerers
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.