# Is "Thorns" by Robert Silverberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Thorns by Robert Silverberg (Ballantine, 1967) is identified by: Ballantine Books, New York, 1967, paperback original, catalog number U6097; a Nebula- and Hugo-nominated novel. US Ballantine paperback original (U6097, 1967) is the true first; a separate first Canadian edition also exists but is not the precedent.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ballantine Books, New York, 1967, paperback original, catalog number U6097; a Nebula- and Hugo-nominated novel
- As a paperback original the first printing is the earliest appearance in book form, and should carry the Ballantine U6097 number with the printed cover price and no later-printing notation
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Silverberg |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ballantine Books, New York, 1967, paperback original, catalog number U6097; a Nebula- and Hugo-nominated novel |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ballantine Books, New York, 1967, paperback original, catalog number U6097; a Nebula- and Hugo-nominated novel. As a paperback original the first printing is the earliest appearance in book form, and should carry the Ballantine U6097 number with the printed cover price and no later-printing notation.

## Is this the true first?
US Ballantine paperback original (U6097, 1967) is the true first; a separate first Canadian edition also exists but is not the precedent.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Later Ballantine printings are distinguished by revised pricing and printing notation rather than the clean first-printing U6097 state.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Thorns* by Robert Silverberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/thorns
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.