# Is "The Lion of Comarre & Against the Fall of Night" by Arthur C. Clarke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Lion of Comarre & Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke (Harcourt, Brace & World, 1968) is identified by: US Harcourt, Brace & World first edition, 1968, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page; the first book appearance of 'The Lion of Comarre.' Octavo in publisher's cloth, issued in a dust jacket with a black background whose ink is prone to rubbing at the spine ends and along the front folds. US Harcourt first edition, 1968; the UK Gollancz edition did not appear until 1970, so the US edition is the true world first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Harcourt, Brace & World first edition, 1968, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page; the first book appearance of 'The Lion of Comarre.' Octavo in publisher's cloth, issued in a dust jacket with a black background whose ink is prone to rubbing at the spine ends and along the front folds
- A correct first should carry the priced jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace & World
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Arthur C. Clarke |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace & World |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Harcourt, Brace & World first edition, 1968, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page; the first book appearance of 'The Lion… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Harcourt, Brace & World first edition, 1968, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page; the first book appearance of 'The Lion of Comarre.' Octavo in publisher's cloth, issued in a dust jacket with a black background whose ink is prone to rubbing at the spine ends and along the front folds. A correct first should carry the priced jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Harcourt first edition, 1968; the UK Gollancz edition did not appear until 1970, so the US edition is the true world first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition: typically a blind-stamped device on the rear board and a jacket without a printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Lion of Comarre & Against the Fall of Night* by Arthur C. Clarke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-lion-of-comarre-against-the-fall-of-night
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.