# Is "Way Station" by Clifford D. Simak a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Way Station by Clifford D. Simak (Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY, 1963) is identified by: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page AND the Doubleday code 'E 33' present at the foot of the last text page (page 210); dust jacket with price on the front flap; pale grey-green cloth. The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first; UK and paperback editions follow.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page AND the Doubleday code 'E 33' present at the foot of the last text page (page 210); dust jacket with price on the front flap; pale grey-green cloth
- Hugo winner (serialized as 'Here Gather the Stars')
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Clifford D. Simak |
| Publisher | Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page AND the Doubleday code 'E 33' present at the foot of the last text page (page 210); dust… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' stated on the copyright page AND the Doubleday code 'E 33' present at the foot of the last text page (page 210); dust jacket with price on the front flap; pale grey-green cloth. Hugo winner (serialized as 'Here Gather the Stars').

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first; UK and paperback editions follow. A true first must show both the stated 'First Edition' line and the 'E 33' code on page 210, which Doubleday used to mark this first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club edition carries the rear-board lower-corner blindstamp and an unpriced 'Book Club Edition' jacket; its thinner boards and the absence of the 'E 33' code distinguish it from the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Way Station* by Clifford D. Simak a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/way-station
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.