# Is "The Jewels of Aptor" by Samuel R. Delany a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Jewels of Aptor by Samuel R. Delany (Ace Books, 1962) is identified by: Ace Books paperback original, Ace Double F-173 (1962), tete-beche with James White's 'Second Ending'; Delany's debut novel, written when he was nineteen. US Ace Double F-173 (1962) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ace Books paperback original, Ace Double F-173
- , tete-beche with James White's 'Second Ending'
- Delany's debut novel, written when he was nineteen
- This first-edition text is abridged, shortened by roughly fifteen pages for the Ace Double format; the complete text was not restored until later editions
- Publisher imprint reads Ace Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Samuel R. Delany |
| Publisher | Ace Books |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ace Books paperback original, Ace Double F-173 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ace Books paperback original, Ace Double F-173 (1962), tete-beche with James White's 'Second Ending'; Delany's debut novel, written when he was nineteen. This first-edition text is abridged, shortened by roughly fifteen pages for the Ace Double format; the complete text was not restored until later editions.

## Is this the true first?
US Ace Double F-173 (1962) is the true first. The revised and enlarged (complete) text first appeared in the 1968 Ace solo edition (G-706); the 1968 Gollancz UK edition, following that restored text, is the first hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None; the 1968 Ace solo printing is the unabridged first-thus.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Jewels of Aptor* by Samuel R. Delany a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-jewels-of-aptor
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.