# Is "The Shape of Space" by Larry Niven a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Shape of Space by Larry Niven (Ballantine, 1969) is identified by: Ballantine Books paperback original, catalog number 01712, 1969. US Ballantine paperback original is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ballantine Books paperback original, catalog number 01712, 1969
- Wraps; short-story collection of twelve pieces
- Not reprinted in English under this title, so the first printing is the only English edition
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Larry Niven |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ballantine Books paperback original, catalog number 01712, 1969 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ballantine Books paperback original, catalog number 01712, 1969. Wraps; short-story collection of twelve pieces. Not reprinted in English under this title, so the first printing is the only English edition.

## Is this the true first?
US Ballantine paperback original is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Shape of Space* by Larry Niven a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-shape-of-space
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.