# Is "The Word for World Is Forest" by Ursula K. Le Guin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin (Berkley/Putnam, 1976) is identified by: Berkley/Putnam first separate hardcover edition, 1976, with priced dust jacket. US Berkley/Putnam edition is the true first separate hardcover; the 1972 anthology appearance precedes it as the first publication of the text.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Berkley/Putnam first separate hardcover edition, 1976, with priced dust jacket
- The text first appeared earlier in the anthology 'Again, Dangerous Visions'
- , which precedes this first stand-alone hardcover
- Publisher imprint reads Berkley/Putnam
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ursula K. Le Guin |
| Publisher | Berkley/Putnam |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Berkley/Putnam first separate hardcover edition, 1976, with priced dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Berkley/Putnam first separate hardcover edition, 1976, with priced dust jacket. The text first appeared earlier in the anthology 'Again, Dangerous Visions' (1972), which precedes this first stand-alone hardcover.

## Is this the true first?
US Berkley/Putnam edition is the true first separate hardcover; the 1972 anthology appearance precedes it as the first publication of the text.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition is distinguished by a blind stamp on the rear board and a jacket lacking a printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Word for World Is Forest* by Ursula K. Le Guin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-word-for-world-is-forest
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.