# Is "Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders" by Samuel R. Delany a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders by Samuel R. Delany (Magnus Books, 2012) is identified by: Magnus Books (New York) trade paperback original, first printing per the copyright page. The Magnus Books 2012 trade paperback is the true first: it is the first edition actually printed and distributed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Magnus Books (New York) trade paperback original, first printing per the copyright page
- The novel runs to roughly 800 pages in a single stout perfect-bound volume
- ISBN 978-1-936833-14-6
- As a paperback original there is no dust jacket, so identification rests on the Magnus Books imprint and the first-printing statement on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Magnus Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Samuel R. Delany |
| Publisher | Magnus Books |
| Year | 2012 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Magnus Books (New York) trade paperback original, first printing per the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Magnus Books (New York) trade paperback original, first printing per the copyright page. The novel runs to roughly 800 pages in a single stout perfect-bound volume; ISBN 978-1-936833-14-6. As a paperback original there is no dust jacket, so identification rests on the Magnus Books imprint and the first-printing statement on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The Magnus Books 2012 trade paperback is the true first: it is the first edition actually printed and distributed. An earlier Alyson Books issue (ISBN 978-1-59350-203-4) was announced and assigned a 2011 date in bibliographic databases, but Alyson had ceased its print program before releasing it, so no Alyson copies were published.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Beware the phantom Alyson Books record dated 2011 that appears in library and trade databases; it represents an announced-but-unpublished edition, not an earlier physical printing. The Magnus Books first printing remains the earliest obtainable form.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders* by Samuel R. Delany a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/through-the-valley-of-the-nest-of-spiders
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.