# Is "Darker Than Amber" by John D. MacDonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Darker Than Amber by John D. MacDonald (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1966) is identified by: Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1966, Travis McGee number seven. Paperback original; the Gold Medal wraps issue bearing serial d1674 is the true first, with no preceding hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1966, Travis McGee number seven
- The true first is the pictorial-wraps Gold Medal issue carrying the serial number d1674 on the front cover and spine, with no additional printing statement on the copyright page
- As a Gold Medal original there is no number line; the first printing is identified by the d1674 serial together with the unmarked, un-repriced wraps
- The cover art is by Ron Lesser
- Later Gold Medal reprints under this title carry higher serial numbers and revised cover pricing, which distinguishes them from the d1674 first
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John D. MacDonald |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1966, Travis McGee number seven |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1966, Travis McGee number seven. The true first is the pictorial-wraps Gold Medal issue carrying the serial number d1674 on the front cover and spine, with no additional printing statement on the copyright page. As a Gold Medal original there is no number line; the first printing is identified by the d1674 serial together with the unmarked, un-repriced wraps. The cover art is by Ron Lesser. Later Gold Medal reprints under this title carry higher serial numbers and revised cover pricing, which distinguishes them from the d1674 first.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original; the Gold Medal wraps issue bearing serial d1674 is the true first, with no preceding hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Gold Medal/Fawcett printings carry different serial numbers and revised cover prices, and much later hardcover reprints exist; the first is the unmarked d1674 Gold Medal wraps issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Darker Than Amber* by John D. MacDonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/darker-than-amber
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.