# Is "Tunnel in the Sky" by Robert A. Heinlein a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tunnel in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1955) is identified by: First printing carries the Scribner 'A' on the copyright page (Scribner's convention for the first printing). US Scribner's first, part of the Scribner Heinlein juvenile series.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the Scribner 'A' on the copyright page (Scribner's convention for the first printing)
- Bound in light brown/tan cloth with brown lettering on the spine and decorative stamping on the front board
- The first-issue dust jacket, with art by P.A. Hutchison, should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the Scribner 'A' on the copyright page (Scribner's convention for the first printing) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the Scribner 'A' on the copyright page (Scribner's convention for the first printing). Bound in light brown/tan cloth with brown lettering on the spine and decorative stamping on the front board. The first-issue dust jacket, with art by P.A. Hutchison, should retain its printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Scribner's first, part of the Scribner Heinlein juvenile series.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Scribner printings lack the 'A'; book-club issues lack the Scribner 'A' on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tunnel in the Sky* by Robert A. Heinlein a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tunnel-in-the-sky
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.