The points of issue
DAW Books mass-market paperback original, DAW collector number 256, first printing dated September 1977, pictorial wraps with cover art by Richard Hescox. Paperback original with no preceding hardcover. The DAW collector number and the printing date help identify the first printing.
Is this the true first?
Paperback original; the true first is the DAW paperback of September 1977. The first hardcover was a later Gregg Press edition (1979). Awards recognition for this title was a 1978 Hugo Award nomination and a 1978 Locus Award nomination, not a Nebula; it was not a Nebula nominee.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings show a changed cover price and altered cover; the DAW collector number on the cover and spine helps date the printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Forbidden Tower a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: DAW Books mass-market paperback original, DAW collector number 256, first printing dated September 1977, pictorial wraps with cover art by Richard Hescox. Paperback original with no preceding hardcover. The DAW collector number and the printing date help identify the first printing.
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. Paperback original; the true first is the DAW paperback of September 1977. The first hardcover was a later Gregg Press edition (1979). Awards recognition for this title was a 1978 Hugo Award nomination and a 1978 Locus Award nomination, not a Nebula; it was not a Nebula nominee.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings show a changed cover price and altered cover; the DAW collector number on the cover and spine helps date the printing.
I have a first edition of The Forbidden Tower — 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.