The points of issue
US Spectra paperback original, 2009 (ISBN 0-553-59217-3), first printing per the number line. C. L. Anderson is a pseudonym of Sarah Zettel. By the time this title appeared (August 2009), the Spectra imprint had moved from Bantam Dell to the Ballantine group, so the Spectra/Ballantine attribution is accurate.
Is this the true first?
The US Spectra paperback original of 2009 is the true first and the award-relevant edition; the Philip K. Dick Award honors distinguished science fiction issued first as a US paperback original. A Science Fiction Book Club hardcover also exists but is a book-club edition, not the true first. Won the Philip K. Dick Award presented for 2009.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club hardcover is a book-club edition, not the trade first. Later reissues are reprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Bitter Angels a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US Spectra paperback original, 2009 (ISBN 0-553-59217-3), first printing per the number line. C. L. Anderson is a pseudonym of Sarah Zettel. By the time this title appeared (August 2009), the Spectra imprint had moved from Bantam Dell to the Ballantine group, so the Spectra/Ballantine attribution is accurate.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Spectra paperback original of 2009 is the true first and the award-relevant edition; the Philip K. Dick Award honors distinguished science fiction issued first as a US paperback original. A Science Fiction Book Club hardcover also exists but is a book-club edition, not the true first. Won the
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The Science Fiction Book Club hardcover is a book-club edition, not the trade first. Later reissues are reprints.
I have a first edition of Bitter Angels — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.