# Is "The Past Through Tomorrow" by Robert A. Heinlein a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Past Through Tomorrow by Robert A. Heinlein (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1967) is identified by: Putnam first printing has no statement of printing on the copyright page; the first-issue dust jacket carries the price on the front flap. US Putnam first edition as a collected omnibus; the individual stories were published earlier in magazines and prior collections.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Putnam first printing has no statement of printing on the copyright page; the first-issue dust jacket carries the price on the front flap |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Past Through Tomorrow* by Robert A. Heinlein a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-past-through-tomorrow
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.