The points of issue
Copyright page carries a full number line descending to '1'. ISBN 0-553-09523-9. The first-issue jacket shows the printed price on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
Published 1993 by Bantam (US) and Bantam Press (UK); market priority is close. A distinct collecting target from A Brief History of Time.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue of note; the usual confusion is later printings whose number line no longer descends to 1. The full number line to '1' plus the priced first-issue jacket identify the first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Brief History of Time — deeper Hawking: Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page carries a full number line descending to '1'. ISBN 0-553-09523-9. The first-issue jacket shows the printed price on the front flap.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Published 1993 by Bantam (US) and Bantam Press (UK); market priority is close. A distinct collecting target from A Brief History of Time.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club issue of note; the usual confusion is later printings whose number line no longer descends to 1. The full number line to '1' plus the priced first-issue jacket identify the first printing.
I have a first edition of A Brief History of Time — deeper Hawking: Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.