Notes
According to Farmer's introduction to the novel (and to SFE3) this is a rediscovered rewrite of the lost novel "I Owe for the Flesh". This novel, according to Wikipedia, was written in one month in 1952 as a contest entry. It won the contest, but the book was left unpublished and got lost.
- The book includes a ten page "Author's Introduction," wherein Farmer relates the history of the Riverworld series.
- After the introduction is a page that states “This novel is complete in itself, but is part of a larger project, a paramyth tentatively titled I Owe for the Flesh, composed of four books: The Great Cry, A State of Honesty, The River of Eternity, and The Paddle Wheeled Comet. Any resemblance to anybody is not coincidental, for this book is populated with all of humanity and some that are not human.”
- Page 177 has an unsigned interior illustration - a map showing someone's speculation on how the river(s) of Riverworld ran. The credits page states “Thanks are due to John Bloomquest and Randall Garrett for their invaluable suggestions and work in preparing the map and the manuscript.”
- After the story is an un-numbered page [207] that states “The first edition of River of Eternity by Phillip José Farmer is limited to three thousand copies. The first five hundred copies have been signed and numbered by the author.” In some copies this page is blank.
- The cover/jacket has two prices, $17.00 for the trade edition and $40 for the special edition.
- The front jacket flap states the wrong ISBN 0-923096-28-X
