Is My Air a First Edition?

The points of issue

• Martin's Griffin imprint) trade paperback original, 2004
• ISBN 9780312261214; full first-state title as printed reads 'Air: Or, Have Not Have.' Issued in wrappers with cover art by Philip Pascuzzo; there was no St
• Martin's hardcover, so the Griffin trade paperback is the format of first publication
• A true first printing shows the complete descending printer's key on the copyright page terminating in 1
• The UK Gollancz edition (ISBN 9780575078116) followed in 2005

How St. Martin's Press / Gollancz marked a first edition

• States 'First Edition' on the copyright page WITH a descending number line ending in 1 ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1').
• Reliable test: explicit 'First Edition' statement together with the number-line 1.

Full St. Martin's Press / Gollancz first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Read the number line — the lowest number is the printing. A line including 1 is a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2). Paste it into the decoder.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The US St. Martin's Griffin edition of 2004 is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition followed in 2005. The book grew out of Ryman's 2001 novelette 'Have Not Have' (Fantasy & Science Fiction, April 2001). It won the 2006 Arthur C. Clarke Award, the BSFA Award, the 2005 James Tiptree Jr. (Otherwise) Award, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. Note that the 'Or, Have Not Have' subtitle appears on the first edition but was dropped from later editions and printings, which appear simply as 'Air.'P-009842

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No book club edition. The UK Gollancz edition is a separate, later state; subsequent printings that drop the 'Or, Have Not Have' subtitle and carry a printer's key not ending in 1 are reprints.P-009843

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Air a first edition?

A first edition of Air by Geoff Ryman (St. Martin's Press / Gollancz) is identified by: Martin's Griffin imprint) trade paperback original, 2004; ISBN 9780312261214; full first-state title as printed reads 'Air: Or, Have Not Have.' Issued in wrappers with cover art by Philip Pascuzzo; there was no St.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A number line whose lowest number is 1 marks a first printing (Random House ends at 2). The US St.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

No book club edition. The UK Gollancz edition is a separate, later state; subsequent printings that drop the 'Or, Have Not Have' subtitle and carry a printer's key not ending in 1 are reprints.

I have a first edition of Air — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.