# Is "The Number of the Beast" by Robert A. Heinlein a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein (New English Library, 1980) is identified by: issue from Fawcett Columbine is a trade paperback, not a standard hardcover, so a softcover priced on the rear cover is the ordinary first U.S. The first hardcover is the U.K.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first U.S. issue from Fawcett Columbine is a trade paperback, not a standard hardcover, so a softcover priced on the rear cover is the ordinary first U.S. printing; a scarce Fawcett Columbine hardcover issue also exists
- The U.K. New English Library hardcover is the first hardcover appearance, with the price printed on the jacket flap
- Both were illustrated by Richard M. Powers
- Publisher imprint reads New English Library
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Publisher | New English Library |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first U.S. issue from Fawcett Columbine is a trade paperback, not a standard hardcover, so a softcover priced on the rear cover is the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first U.S. issue from Fawcett Columbine is a trade paperback, not a standard hardcover, so a softcover priced on the rear cover is the ordinary first U.S. printing; a scarce Fawcett Columbine hardcover issue also exists. The U.K. New English Library hardcover is the first hardcover appearance, with the price printed on the jacket flap. Both were illustrated by Richard M. Powers.

## Is this the true first?
The first hardcover is the U.K. New English Library edition of 1980. A New English Library paperback was issued at about the same time and is reported to slightly precede the NEL hardcover, so it, not the hardcover, is the earliest appearance in book form. The U.K. and U.S. texts differ somewhat.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
U.S. book club hardcovers lack the printed jacket price and are typically identified by a blind stamp on the rear board; they are distinct from the scarce true Fawcett Columbine hardcover issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Number of the Beast* by Robert A. Heinlein a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-number-of-the-beast
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.