# Is "Up the Line" by Robert Silverberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Up the Line by Robert Silverberg (Ballantine, 1969) is identified by: Ballantine Books paperback original, August 1969, catalog number 01680, in pictorial wrappers with a painted cover by Ron Walotsky and the Ballantine-printed cover price; approximately 250 pages. US Ballantine paperback original is the true first book edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ballantine Books paperback original, August 1969, catalog number 01680, in pictorial wrappers with a painted cover by Ron Walotsky and the Ballantine-printed cover price; approximately 250 pages
- No prior book edition; the true first is this first-printing state with the 01680 number and no later-printing price uptick or reprint code
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Silverberg |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ballantine Books paperback original, August 1969, catalog number 01680, in pictorial wrappers with a painted cover by Ron Walotsky and the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ballantine Books paperback original, August 1969, catalog number 01680, in pictorial wrappers with a painted cover by Ron Walotsky and the Ballantine-printed cover price; approximately 250 pages. No prior book edition; the true first is this first-printing state with the 01680 number and no later-printing price uptick or reprint code.

## Is this the true first?
US Ballantine paperback original is the true first book edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable; paperback original with no book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Up the Line* by Robert Silverberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/up-the-line
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.