According to Peter Nicholls this is a fix-up of "The Great Engine","The Wonderful Man" (under the title "The Changeling"), and "The Beast" originally published in ''Astounding Science Fiction'' 1943, 1944.
According to Icshi:
- Chapters 1-5: "The Great Engine" 1943;
- Chapters 5-11: "The Changeling" 1944;
- Chapters 12-13: linking material;
- Chapters 14-31 & Epilogue: "The Beast" 1943.
| Date | Publication | Publisher | Type | Page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 |
|
The Beast | Doubleday | Novel | |
| May 1963 |
|
The Beast | Doubleday / SFBC | Novel | 1 |
| May 1964 |
|
The Beast | Macfadden Books | Novel | 7 |
| May 1964 |
|
The Beast | Macfadden Books | Novel | 7 |
| October 1967 |
|
A van Vogt Omnibus | Sidgwick & Jackson | Omnibus | 2nd |
| August 1968 |
|
The Beast | Macfadden Books | Novel | 7 |
| September 1972 |
|
The Beast | Manor Books | Novel | 7 |
| 1975 |
|
The Beast | Manor Books | Novel | 7 |
| June 1977 |
|
The Beast | Manor Books | Novel | 7 |
| February 1984 |
|
The Beast | DAW Books | Novel | 5 |
| February 1984 |
|
The Beast | DAW Books / New American Library of Canada | Novel | 5 |
| November 1992 |
|
The Beast | Carroll & Graf | Novel | 1 |
| September 2015 |
|
The Beast | Agency Editions | Novel |