# Is "A Game of Thrones signed first" by George R.R. Martin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Game of Thrones signed first by George R.R. Martin (Bantam Spectra, 1996) is identified by: The true first edition of A Game of Thrones is the US Bantam Spectra hardcover of 1996 (ISBN 0-553-10354-7), with the complete descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page; presence of the '1' confirms the first printing. US Bantam Spectra hardcover (1996) is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first edition of A Game of Thrones is the US Bantam Spectra hardcover of 1996 (ISBN 0-553-10354-7), with the complete descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page; presence of the '1' confirms the first printing
- The volume is bound in cream/off-white boards with red lettering on the spine and carries cartographic (map) endpapers, with book design by James Sinclair and jacket illustration by Tom Hallman
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price and be present and unrestored
- On a signed copy, look for a genuine George R.R. Martin signature to the title page, consistent with a first-printing number line
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Spectra
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George R.R. Martin |
| Publisher | Bantam Spectra |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first edition of A Game of Thrones is the US Bantam Spectra hardcover of 1996 (ISBN 0-553-10354-7), with the complete descending… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first edition of A Game of Thrones is the US Bantam Spectra hardcover of 1996 (ISBN 0-553-10354-7), with the complete descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page; presence of the '1' confirms the first printing. The volume is bound in cream/off-white boards with red lettering on the spine and carries cartographic (map) endpapers, with book design by James Sinclair and jacket illustration by Tom Hallman. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price and be present and unrestored. On a signed copy, look for a genuine George R.R. Martin signature to the title page, consistent with a first-printing number line.

## Is this the true first?
US Bantam Spectra hardcover (1996) is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Bantam Doubleday Dell book-club edition of 1996 reprints the same text but lacks the full number line and the printed jacket price, and is markedly smaller and lighter than the trade first; it is not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Game of Thrones signed first* by George R.R. Martin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-game-of-thrones-signed-first
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.