# Is "All Tomorrow's Parties" by William Gibson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of All Tomorrow's Parties by William Gibson (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1999) is identified by: Putnam's Sons US hardcover, 1999, octavo, 278 pages, with a full number line ending in 1 on a true first printing. US Putnam and UK Viking are both dated 1999; precedence between the two is not firmly established in the standard references, so neither should be asserted as definitively earlier.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- G.P. Putnam's Sons US hardcover, 1999, octavo, 278 pages, with a full number line ending in 1 on a true first printing
- Bound in quarter black paper over yellow paper boards with the spine lettered in silver
- The first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap when unclipped
- The Viking UK hardcover is also dated 1999
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Gibson |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | G.P. Putnam's Sons US hardcover, 1999, octavo, 278 pages, with a full number line ending in 1 on a true first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
G.P. Putnam's Sons US hardcover, 1999, octavo, 278 pages, with a full number line ending in 1 on a true first printing. Bound in quarter black paper over yellow paper boards with the spine lettered in silver. The first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap when unclipped. The Viking UK hardcover is also dated 1999.

## Is this the true first?
US Putnam and UK Viking are both dated 1999; precedence between the two is not firmly established in the standard references, so neither should be asserted as definitively earlier. Bridge trilogy volume 3.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club issue exists, identifiable by the blind gutter dot on the rear board and the absence of a printed price on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *All Tomorrow's Parties* by William Gibson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/all-tomorrows-parties
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.