Is My Altered Carbon a First Edition?

The points of issue

• UK Gollancz hardcover, 28 February 2002, ISBN 0-575-07321-7
• Morgan's debut novel and winner of the Philip K. Dick Award
• The dust jacket carries cover art by Chris Moore and should retain its printed price; first-issue jackets are not price-clipped-dependent for identification, but the printed price should be present
• First printing has no statement of a later impression on the copyright page
• Signed copies are common from launch, and a scarcer state exists signed on the title page by both Morgan and cover artist Chris Moore

How Victor Gollancz marked a first edition

• From 1984 onward: began stating "First published in [Year] by Victor Gollancz Ltd" on the copyright page of firsts

Full Victor 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. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Verify this is the UK 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 UK Gollancz 2002 hardcover is the true first. The US Del Rey edition (March 2003) is the first US printing and the Philip K. Dick Award-eligible edition; the award was presented in 2003. The Del Rey first US appeared as a hardcover (with a separate Del Rey book-club hardcover state), also using Chris Moore cover art. Do not conflate the award-eligible Del Rey with the true first.P-025918

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

The Del Rey 2003 mass-market paperback is the first US, not the true first. Later Gollancz and Del Rey reissues are reprints. A US Del Rey book-club hardcover state also appears.P-025919

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Altered Carbon a first edition?

A first edition of Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan (Victor Gollancz) is identified by: UK Gollancz hardcover, 28 February 2002, ISBN 0-575-07321-7.

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

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. The UK Gollancz 2002 hardcover is the true first.

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

The Del Rey 2003 mass-market paperback is the first US, not the true first. Later Gollancz and Del Rey reissues are reprints. A US Del Rey book-club hardcover state also appears.

I have a first edition of Altered Carbon — 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.