# Is "The Ringworld Engineers" by Larry Niven a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven (Phantasia Press, 1980) is identified by: Phantasia Press signed/numbered limited edition (500 copies, slipcased, signed by Niven, folded map laid in) is the true first edition in book form, preceding the Holt trade. The Phantasia Press limited edition is the true first in book form; the Holt trade is a later first trade edition, not a parallel issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Phantasia Press signed/numbered limited edition (500 copies, slipcased, signed by Niven, folded map laid in) is the true first edition in book form, preceding the Holt trade
- The Holt, Rinehart and Winston trade hardcover (stated 'First Edition', priced jacket) followed and is the first trade edition
- Publisher imprint reads Phantasia Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Larry Niven |
| Publisher | Phantasia Press |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Phantasia Press signed/numbered limited edition (500 copies, slipcased, signed by Niven, folded map laid in) is the true first edition in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Phantasia Press signed/numbered limited edition (500 copies, slipcased, signed by Niven, folded map laid in) is the true first edition in book form, preceding the Holt trade. The Holt, Rinehart and Winston trade hardcover (stated 'First Edition', priced jacket) followed and is the first trade edition.

## Is this the true first?
The Phantasia Press limited edition is the true first in book form; the Holt trade is a later first trade edition, not a parallel issue. The original record's framing (Holt as the first, Phantasia as a parallel) understated Phantasia's precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book club edition derived from the Holt trade exists with a blind stamp and unpriced jacket; the Phantasia limited has no book-club counterpart.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Ringworld Engineers* by Larry Niven a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-ringworld-engineers
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.