# Is "Wild Seed" by Octavia E. Butler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler (Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY, 1980) is identified by: First Doubleday hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; original burgundy boards stamped in lavender; priced jacket on the front flap. The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first; the UK Sidgwick & Jackson edition and paperbacks follow.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Doubleday hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; original burgundy boards stamped in lavender; priced jacket on the front flap
- A gutter/printing code (such as K23) appears at the foot of the final text page on the trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Octavia E. Butler |
| Publisher | Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Doubleday hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; original burgundy boards stamped in lavender; priced jacket on… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First Doubleday hardcover with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; original burgundy boards stamped in lavender; priced jacket on the front flap. A gutter/printing code (such as K23) appears at the foot of the final text page on the trade first.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first; the UK Sidgwick & Jackson edition and paperbacks follow.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club edition is distinguished by an unpriced 'Book Club Edition' jacket and a small blindstamp on the lower corner of the rear board, with thinner boards. Note that a gutter printing code is not by itself a club indicator, since the trade first also carries one.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wild Seed* by Octavia E. Butler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wild-seed
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.