The points of issue
Tor hardcover first printing with the 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page and a complete number line ending in 1. Priced dust jacket (price on the front flap); jacket art by Boris Vallejo, design by Carol Russo. Black cloth with silver spine lettering; publisher's boards. Locus SF Novel and Hugo winner.
Is this the true first?
The US Tor 1992 hardcover is the true first; the UK Millennium 1992 edition is a separate printing.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club edition has no price on the jacket, a blind-stamp/gutter dot on the rear board, and lacks the Tor number line ending in 1.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Fire Upon the Deep a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Tor hardcover first printing with the 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page and a complete number line ending in 1. Priced dust jacket (price on the front flap); jacket art by Boris Vallejo, design by Carol Russo. Black cloth with silver spine lettering; publisher's boards. Locus SF Novel and Hugo winner.
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. The US Tor 1992 hardcover is the true first; the UK Millennium 1992 edition is a separate printing.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The Science Fiction Book Club edition has no price on the jacket, a blind-stamp/gutter dot on the rear board, and lacks the Tor number line ending in 1.
I have a first edition of A Fire Upon the Deep — 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.