# Is "The Creation of the World and Other Business" by Arthur Miller a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Creation of the World and Other Business by Arthur Miller (The Viking Press, 1973) is identified by: The Viking Press, New York, 1973; hardcover octavo of about 106 pages in original green cloth, the spine lettered in gilt and black, with yellow endpapers, in a dust jacket designed by Hal Siegal bearing its printed price. US Viking 1973 is the true first for this play in book form.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Viking Press, New York, 1973; hardcover octavo of about 106 pages in original green cloth, the spine lettered in gilt and black, with yellow endpapers, in a dust jacket designed by Hal Siegal bearing its printed price
- First edition, first printing carries the Viking imprint on the title and copyright pages with no statement of a later printing
- The play had premiered on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on 30 November 1972, a year before this book text
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Arthur Miller |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Viking Press, New York, 1973; hardcover octavo of about 106 pages in original green cloth, the spine lettered in gilt and black, with… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The Viking Press, New York, 1973; hardcover octavo of about 106 pages in original green cloth, the spine lettered in gilt and black, with yellow endpapers, in a dust jacket designed by Hal Siegal bearing its printed price. First edition, first printing carries the Viking imprint on the title and copyright pages with no statement of a later printing. The play had premiered on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on 30 November 1972, a year before this book text.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking 1973 is the true first for this play in book form.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
To confirm a first printing, verify the copyright page shows the Viking first-edition state without a stated later printing; treat any book-club reprint (blind-stamp on rear board, absence of price on jacket) as a separate later issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Creation of the World and Other Business* by Arthur Miller a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-creation-of-the-world-and-other-business
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.