# Is "The Witling" by Vernor Vinge a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Witling by Vernor Vinge (DAW Books, 1976) is identified by: DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors' Book No. US DAW paperback original (1976) is the true first; a UK Dennis Dobson hardcover (London) appeared later the same year and is the uncommon hardcover first, following the DAW issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors' Book No
- , with first printing stated on the copyright page; the classic numbered yellow-spine DAW mass-market format, with cover art by George Barr
- Vinge's second novel
- Publisher imprint reads DAW Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Vernor Vinge |
| Publisher | DAW Books |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors' Book No |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors' Book No. 179 (1976), with first printing stated on the copyright page; the classic numbered yellow-spine DAW mass-market format, with cover art by George Barr. Vinge's second novel.

## Is this the true first?
US DAW paperback original (1976) is the true first; a UK Dennis Dobson hardcover (London) appeared later the same year and is the uncommon hardcover first, following the DAW issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None; later Tor reprint (ISBN 0-7653-0886-X) is not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Witling* by Vernor Vinge a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-witling
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.