The points of issue
Putnam first printing has no statement of printing on the copyright page; the first-issue dust jacket carries the price on the front flap. Bound in navy cloth with the top edge stained green; a gutter code on the final text page is associated with the first printing. This is the first collected Future History omnibus, gathering twenty stories plus the novel Methuselah's Children.
Is this the true first?
US Putnam first edition as a collected omnibus; the individual stories were published earlier in magazines and prior collections.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition carries no price on the jacket flap and bears the club blind stamp on the rear board.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Past Through Tomorrow a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Putnam first printing has no statement of printing on the copyright page; the first-issue dust jacket carries the price on the front flap. Bound in navy cloth with the top edge stained green; a gutter code on the final text page is associated with the first printing. This is the first collected Future History omnibus, gathering twenty stories plus the novel Methuselah's Children.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Putnam first edition as a collected omnibus; the individual stories were published earlier in magazines and prior collections.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book club edition carries no price on the jacket flap and bears the club blind stamp on the rear board.
I have a first edition of The Past Through Tomorrow — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.