# Is "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Pan Books, 1979) is identified by: Pan Books paperback original, first published 12 October 1979 — the story's first appearance in print, ahead of the Arthur Barker hardcover. The Pan paperback (12 October 1979) is the true first edition — it precedes the Arthur Barker hardcover (1979).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pan Books paperback original, first published 12 October 1979 — the story's first appearance in print, ahead of the Arthur Barker hardcover
- Cover designed by the art group Hipgnosis with illustrator Ian Wright; printed cover price on the front cover; early printings carry the title as 'The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.' Identify the first printing by the imprint (copyright) page reading 'First published 1979 by Pan Books Ltd' with NO later-printing or 'reprinted' statement (the British post-1968 convention) — a descending number line ending in 1 is NOT documented in the sources consulted and should not be relied on as the point
- First issues often retain a loosely-inserted 'Don't Panic!' advertising flyer for the double LP, which is usually lacking
- Publisher imprint reads Pan Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Douglas Adams |
| Publisher | Pan Books |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Pan Books paperback original, first published 12 October 1979 — the story's first appearance in print, ahead of the Arthur Barker hardcover |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Pan Books paperback original, first published 12 October 1979 — the story's first appearance in print, ahead of the Arthur Barker hardcover. Cover designed by the art group Hipgnosis with illustrator Ian Wright; printed cover price on the front cover; early printings carry the title as 'The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.' Identify the first printing by the imprint (copyright) page reading 'First published 1979 by Pan Books Ltd' with NO later-printing or 'reprinted' statement (the British post-1968 convention) — a descending number line ending in 1 is NOT documented in the sources consulted and should not be relied on as the point. First issues often retain a loosely-inserted 'Don't Panic!' advertising flyer for the double LP, which is usually lacking.

## Is this the true first?
The Pan paperback (12 October 1979) is the true first edition — it precedes the Arthur Barker hardcover (1979). The Barker hardcover is the scarce first HARDCOVER (small run, prized as an object) but is NOT the true first edition; the US Harmony hardcover (1980) is later still.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Arthur Barker hardcover, though scarcer, is a second-format issue, not the true first; its first-state jacket carries a 'Capricorn One' advert on the rear panel with the printed price to the front flap. Later Pan printings state a reprint/later-printing history on the imprint page and typically a raised price. The US Harmony hardcover (1980) is a separate, later edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy* by Douglas Adams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy
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.