# Is "Against a Dark Background" by Iain M. Banks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Against a Dark Background by Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 1993) is identified by: Orbit UK hardcover, first edition, first impression; the copyright page states first published in Great Britain by Orbit in 1993 with no later printings indicated (ISBN 1857230310). UK Orbit hardcover (1993) is the true first; the US Bantam Spectra edition (1993) was a paperback original.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Orbit UK hardcover, first edition, first impression; the copyright page states first published in Great Britain by Orbit in 1993 with no later printings indicated (ISBN 1857230310)
- Octavo, viii and 487 pages
- Bound in black cloth (boards) with silver lettering to the spine, issued in an illustrated dust jacket with the printed price present on the unclipped jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Orbit
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Iain M. Banks |
| Publisher | Orbit |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Orbit UK hardcover, first edition, first impression; the copyright page states first published in Great Britain by Orbit in 1993 with no… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Orbit UK hardcover, first edition, first impression; the copyright page states first published in Great Britain by Orbit in 1993 with no later printings indicated (ISBN 1857230310). Octavo, viii and 487 pages. Bound in black cloth (boards) with silver lettering to the spine, issued in an illustrated dust jacket with the printed price present on the unclipped jacket.

## Is this the true first?
UK Orbit hardcover (1993) is the true first; the US Bantam Spectra edition (1993) was a paperback original.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Against a Dark Background* by Iain M. Banks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/against-a-dark-background
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.