this appears to be the 12/1955 merkin science fiction book club edition, as it differs in pagination from the first and does not declare ''first edition'' on the indica page.
baen publishing enterprises baen books imprint mmpb first printing, not first mmpb edition
cover art by (frank) kelly freas (unsigned, credited; re-used from astounding vol.liv #1, 9/1954 &c.)
cover price (can. $5.99) * u.s. $4.50
208pp. including titles, indicia etc, end pp. advertising (this comment is from another edition of this book)
e. p. dutton & co. h/cvr first printing, first edition (so stated in indica publishing history)
cover (d-j) art (unsigned, may be credited on d-j flap)
cover (d-j) price $2.75
192pp. including titles, indicia etc. blank end pp, bound with endpapers between covered boards
(there is an oddity reported regarding the actual pagination of the first edition, which apparently includes two more unnumbered title (etc.) pp. in the accounting than are actually present (possibly arising from including the two sides of the front fly endpaper), giving the impression that there are 194pp. - or even 196pp, if the two sides of the rear fly endpaper be included for consistency.) (this comment is from another edition of this book)
bantam books mmpb first printing, first p/b edition
cover art by richard powers (unsigned, uncredited; attributed in ''the art of richard powers'' jane frank (2001), q.v.)
cover price 35¢
160pp. including titles, indica, etc, end pp. including author's postscript
distinguish from undated near-identical second printing, by presence/absence of line stating second printing in the publishing history
this reprint will have been no later than 1961, as bantam books mmpbs of this extent started being priced at 40¢, and being given cat#s with J alphabetical prefixes indicating this, during 1961. (this comment is from another edition of this book)
william collins & sons grafton imprint uk p/b first printing, first known uk edition
cover art by frank kelly freas (re-used from ballantine books mmpb cover art, itself re-used from astounding vol. lxv #1, 9/1954, bre vol.11 #2, 2/1955)
cover price £2.95 (?overseas territories prices? dig it out & check)
208pp. including titles, indica etc, end pp. advertising
month of publication taken from locus magazine (this comment is from another edition of this book)
ballantine books simultaneous first mmpb printings, not first p/b edition (was bantam books mmpb)
cover art by frank kelly freas (re-used from astounding vol. liv #1, 9/1954; bre vol.11 #2, 2/1955)
cover price $1.50
176pp? (check) including titles, indica etc, end pp. advertising
refer to indica printing history to see if carcass of copy held was canadadian- or merkin- printed
no priority established nor liable to be, both state first ballantine books edition: september 1976
some low thousands(?) copies imported and distributed in the yuk-of-gb-&-ni by futura publications ltd. bearing characteristic round-cornered peelable white label with black-printed uk price on back cover
10/1976 near-identical second ballantine books mmpb printing differs:
publishing history adds statement of second printing
10/1981 near-identical del rey / ballantine books third mmpb printing differs: bears new
isbn: 0-345-29853-5
cover price $2.25
publishing history adds line stating third printing october 1981
books advertised on end pp. may differ (this comment is from another edition of this book)