# Is "Vulcan's Hammer" by Philip K. Dick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick (Ace, 1960) is identified by: Ace Double D-457, a paperback original published September 1960, bound dos-a-dos (tete-beche) with John Brunner's 'The Skynappers'; each side has its own cover, title page and pagination and the volume reads from either end. US Ace paperback original (Ace Double D-457) is the true first book appearance; there is no preceding hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ace Double D-457, a paperback original published September 1960, bound dos-a-dos (tete-beche) with John Brunner's 'The Skynappers'; each side has its own cover, title page and pagination and the volume reads from either end
- The Dick side runs 139 pages and the Brunner side 117; the cover artwork is by Ed Emshwiller (Vulcan's Hammer) and Ed Valigursky (The Skynappers)
- The catalog designation 'D-457' appears on the spine and covers, with the period cover printed price printed on the cover
- This novel is an expanded version of a shorter work first printed in Future Science Fiction in 1956; the Ace Double is its first appearance in book form
- Publisher imprint reads Ace
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip K. Dick |
| Publisher | Ace |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ace Double D-457, a paperback original published September 1960, bound dos-a-dos (tete-beche) with John Brunner's 'The Skynappers'; each… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ace Double D-457, a paperback original published September 1960, bound dos-a-dos (tete-beche) with John Brunner's 'The Skynappers'; each side has its own cover, title page and pagination and the volume reads from either end. The Dick side runs 139 pages and the Brunner side 117; the cover artwork is by Ed Emshwiller (Vulcan's Hammer) and Ed Valigursky (The Skynappers). The catalog designation 'D-457' appears on the spine and covers, with the period cover printed price printed on the cover. This novel is an expanded version of a shorter work first printed in Future Science Fiction in 1956; the Ace Double is its first appearance in book form.

## Is this the true first?
US Ace paperback original (Ace Double D-457) is the true first book appearance; there is no preceding hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Later Ace and other paperback reissues drop the dos-a-dos Ace Double format and the D-457 designation, so the tete-beche binding with Brunner's 'The Skynappers' is itself the identifying point.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Vulcan's Hammer* by Philip K. Dick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/vulcans-hammer
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.