# Is "The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1962) is identified by: First printing is bound in black cloth lettered in red on spine and front board, with a yellow top-stain. The US G.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing is bound in black cloth lettered in red on spine and front board, with a yellow top-stain
- The identifying point is the Putnam date code "D36" at the foot of the last text page (page 239), with no later-printing statement
- The first-issue pictorial dust jacket has art by Robert Galster, carries its printed price at the top of the front flap, and shows the code 1062 at the foot of the flap; the printed price should be present
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip K. Dick |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing is bound in black cloth lettered in red on spine and front board, with a yellow top-stain |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing is bound in black cloth lettered in red on spine and front board, with a yellow top-stain. The identifying point is the Putnam date code "D36" at the foot of the last text page (page 239), with no later-printing statement. The first-issue pictorial dust jacket has art by Robert Galster, carries its printed price at the top of the front flap, and shows the code 1062 at the foot of the flap; the printed price should be present.

## Is this the true first?
The US G. P. Putnam's Sons hardcover (New York, 1962) is the true first, preceding the UK edition. It won the 1963 Hugo Award for best novel and is scarce in a fine first-issue jacket.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club edition states 'Book Club Edition' on the front flap with no printed price, carries a blind-stamped dot or code to the rear board, and is printed on cheaper bulking paper; it lacks the D36 code at the foot of page 239.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Man in the High Castle* by Philip K. Dick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-man-in-the-high-castle
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.