# Is "The Gods Themselves" by Isaac Asimov a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov (Doubleday, 1972) is identified by: Doubleday (Garden City, New York) hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing indicated. The US Doubleday 1972 edition, with 'First Edition' stated and the '13N' gutter code on page 238, is the standard true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday (Garden City, New York) hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing indicated
- The trade first is further confirmed by the Doubleday gutter code '13N' at the foot of page 238, denoting the March 1972 printing run
- First-issue dust jacket carries the David November cover art and the printed price on the front flap (price present, unclipped); bound in publisher's cloth-backed boards
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday (Garden City, New York) hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing indicated |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday (Garden City, New York) hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing indicated. The trade first is further confirmed by the Doubleday gutter code '13N' at the foot of page 238, denoting the March 1972 printing run. First-issue dust jacket carries the David November cover art and the printed price on the front flap (price present, unclipped); bound in publisher's cloth-backed boards.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday 1972 edition, with 'First Edition' stated and the '13N' gutter code on page 238, is the standard true first. The UK Victor Gollancz edition (1972) is a separate, near-simultaneous first issue in its own right.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Doubleday Book Club edition lacks the '13N' gutter code on page 238 and shows the usual club tells: a blind-stamp (dimple) on the rear board, thinner boards, and no printed price on the dust jacket, which instead carries a small alphanumeric code on the lower rear flap. Its copyright page does not carry the 'First Edition' statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Gods Themselves* by Isaac Asimov a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-gods-themselves
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.