# Is "The Zap Gun" by Philip K. Dick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick (Pyramid, 1967) is identified by: Pyramid Books paperback original, catalog number R-1569, the printed price cover price, cover art by Jack Gaughan. The US Pyramid paperback original is the true first edition in book form; the magazine serialization predates it but is not a book.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pyramid Books paperback original, catalog number R-1569, the printed price cover price, cover art by Jack Gaughan
- The novel had earlier appeared as the two-part magazine serial 'Project Plowshare' in Worlds of Tomorrow (1965-1966), which precedes any book form
- Publisher imprint reads Pyramid
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip K. Dick |
| Publisher | Pyramid |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Pyramid Books paperback original, catalog number R-1569, the printed price cover price, cover art by Jack Gaughan |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Pyramid Books paperback original, catalog number R-1569, the printed price cover price, cover art by Jack Gaughan. The novel had earlier appeared as the two-part magazine serial 'Project Plowshare' in Worlds of Tomorrow (1965-1966), which precedes any book form.

## Is this the true first?
The US Pyramid paperback original is the true first edition in book form; the magazine serialization predates it but is not a book.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. As a paperback original there is no hardcover or club issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Zap Gun* by Philip K. Dick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-zap-gun
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.