# Is "The Penultimate Truth" by Philip K. Dick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Penultimate Truth by Philip K. Dick (Belmont, 1964) is identified by: New York: Belmont, 1964. The US Belmont paperback original (92-603) is the true first book appearance; the prior Fantastic magazine serialization is periodical, not a book edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New York: Belmont, 1964
- Paperback original, catalogue number 92-603, in pictorial wrappers, small octavo, with the price printed on the front cover
- The novel was serialized in Fantastic across three issues (March to May 1964) before this Belmont paperback appeared later the same year
- Publisher imprint reads Belmont
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip K. Dick |
| Publisher | Belmont |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New York: Belmont, 1964 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
New York: Belmont, 1964. Paperback original, catalogue number 92-603, in pictorial wrappers, small octavo, with the price printed on the front cover. The novel was serialized in Fantastic across three issues (March to May 1964) before this Belmont paperback appeared later the same year.

## Is this the true first?
The US Belmont paperback original (92-603) is the true first book appearance; the prior Fantastic magazine serialization is periodical, not a book edition. A British hardcover first edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; the Belmont paperback is the first book state.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Penultimate Truth* by Philip K. Dick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-penultimate-truth
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.