# Is "The Robots of Dawn" by Isaac Asimov a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov (Doubleday, 1983) is identified by: Copyright page states "First Edition" with no number line reaching 1 (Doubleday convention of the period). The US Doubleday trade edition is the standard first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states "First Edition" with no number line reaching 1 (Doubleday convention of the period)
- Trade dust jacket is priced on the front flap
- Third Lije Baley / R. Daneel Olivaw robot-detective novel
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states "First Edition" with no number line reaching 1 (Doubleday convention of the period) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states "First Edition" with no number line reaching 1 (Doubleday convention of the period). Trade dust jacket is priced on the front flap. Third Lije Baley / R. Daneel Olivaw robot-detective novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday trade edition is the standard first. A Phantasia Press signed limited edition was issued concurrently (a numbered run of 750 and a lettered run of 35), each signed by Asimov.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions show "Book Club Edition" on the lower front jacket flap, carry no printed price, and lack the stated "First Edition"; a blind gutter code may be present.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Robots of Dawn* by Isaac Asimov a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-robots-of-dawn
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.