# Is "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury (Doubleday, 1950) is identified by: US Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1950, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no statement of a later printing. US Doubleday is the true first, preceding the UK Hart-Davis edition titled 'The Silver Locusts' (1951, with altered/added contents).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1950, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no statement of a later printing
- Octavo, 222 pages, bound in pale green cloth lettered on the spine in purple; the first-issue dust jacket carries its original printed flap price
- Published May 1950
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ray Bradbury |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1950, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no statement of a later printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1950, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no statement of a later printing. Octavo, 222 pages, bound in pale green cloth lettered on the spine in purple; the first-issue dust jacket carries its original printed flap price. Published May 1950.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday is the true first, preceding the UK Hart-Davis edition titled 'The Silver Locusts' (1951, with altered/added contents). The US Doubleday first is the canonical collectible.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club editions lack the flap price, are printed on cheaper bulkier paper, and show a blind-stamped dot on the rear board or 'Book Club Edition' on the jacket flap. The book-club printing is very common and far more available than the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Martian Chronicles* by Ray Bradbury a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-martian-chronicles
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.