# Is "The Second Trip" by Robert Silverberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Second Trip by Robert Silverberg (Doubleday, 1972) is identified by: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no later printing line; gutter code 39N at the foot of the last page of text; priced dust jacket whose front panel reproduces a photograph of a Gene Szafran sculpture. US Doubleday & Company first hardcover edition, issued 1972.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no later printing line; gutter code 39N at the foot of the last page of text; priced dust jacket whose front panel reproduces a photograph of a Gene Szafran sculpture
- The novel was serialized in Amazing Stories (July-September 1971) before this first hardcover appearance
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Silverberg |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no later printing line; gutter code 39N at the foot of the last page of text; priced dust… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no later printing line; gutter code 39N at the foot of the last page of text; priced dust jacket whose front panel reproduces a photograph of a Gene Szafran sculpture. The novel was serialized in Amazing Stories (July-September 1971) before this first hardcover appearance.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday & Company first hardcover edition, issued 1972.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition (Nelson Doubleday / SFBC) lacks the 'First Edition' statement, carries a blind-stamped device on the rear board, and has an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Second Trip* by Robert Silverberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-second-trip
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.