# Is "Altered Carbon" by Richard K. Morgan a First Edition?

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

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads Victor Gollancz
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard K. Morgan |
| Publisher | Victor Gollancz |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Gollancz hardcover, 28 February 2002, ISBN 0-575-07321-7 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## 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.

## 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.

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Altered Carbon* by Richard K. Morgan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/altered-carbon
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.