# Is "The Illustrated Man" by Ray Bradbury a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury (Doubleday, 1951) is identified by: First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page. US Doubleday 1951 is the true first; UK Rupert Hart-Davis 1952 follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page
- Beige buckram cloth, red pictorial dust jacket priced on the flap
- Doubleday gutter/printing code present on the final text page consistent with the first impression
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ray Bradbury |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1951 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page. Beige buckram cloth, red pictorial dust jacket priced on the flap. Doubleday gutter/printing code present on the final text page consistent with the first impression.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday 1951 is the true first; UK Rupert Hart-Davis 1952 follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Doubleday book-club edition lacks the 'First Edition' statement, has a blindstamp on the rear board, no flap price, and a different gutter code. Common.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Illustrated Man* by Ray Bradbury a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-illustrated-man
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.