# Is "They'd Rather Be Right (aka The Forever Machine)" by Mark Clifton & Frank Riley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of They'd Rather Be Right (aka The Forever Machine) by Mark Clifton & Frank Riley (Gnome Press, 1957) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Edition' with copyright 1957 by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley; Library of Congress card number 57-14670; 189 pp; printed in the U.S.A. The Gnome Press 1957 hardcover is the true first book edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Edition' with copyright 1957 by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley
- Library of Congress card number 57-14670
- 189 pp; printed in the U.S.A. by H. Wolff, New York
- Approximately 5,000 copies printed
- Serialized in Astounding Science Fiction, 1954
- Publisher imprint reads Gnome Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mark Clifton & Frank Riley |
| Publisher | Gnome Press |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Edition' with copyright 1957 by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Edition' with copyright 1957 by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley; Library of Congress card number 57-14670; 189 pp; printed in the U.S.A. by H. Wolff, New York. Approximately 5,000 copies printed. Serialized in Astounding Science Fiction, 1954.

## Is this the true first?
The Gnome Press 1957 hardcover is the true first book edition. The 1954 magazine serialization predates it but is not a book. Later retitled 'The Forever Machine' in paperback, which is a first thus only.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable US book club edition; any paperback retitled 'The Forever Machine' is a later printing, not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *They'd Rather Be Right (aka The Forever Machine)* by Mark Clifton & Frank Riley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/theyd-rather-be-right-aka-the-forever-machine
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.