# Is "Wave Without a Shore" by C.J. Cherryh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wave Without a Shore by C.J. Cherryh (DAW Books, 1981) is identified by: DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors No. US DAW paperback original (August 1981) is the true first; there was no preceding hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors No
- 444, with 'First Printing, August, 1981' stated on the copyright page
- Wraparound cover art by Don Maitz, with the DAW logo and collector's number on the spine and front cover
- As a mass-market paperback original the priced cover is integral; the true first has no later-printing statement added below the first-printing line
- Publisher imprint reads DAW Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.J. Cherryh |
| Publisher | DAW Books |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors No |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors No. 444, with 'First Printing, August, 1981' stated on the copyright page. Wraparound cover art by Don Maitz, with the DAW logo and collector's number on the spine and front cover. As a mass-market paperback original the priced cover is integral; the true first has no later-printing statement added below the first-printing line.

## Is this the true first?
US DAW paperback original (August 1981) is the true first; there was no preceding hardcover. Later reissues under different pagination/ISBN are subsequent editions.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None known; not a Science Fiction Book Club title in this first form.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wave Without a Shore* by C.J. Cherryh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wave-without-a-shore
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.