# Is "Blood Music" by Greg Bear a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Blood Music by Greg Bear (Arbor House, New York, 1985) is identified by: Arbor House first edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing indicators, and carries the printed price on the jacket flap. The US Arbor House hardcover (1985) is the true first, preceding the UK Gollancz edition (1986) and all paperback issues.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Arbor House first edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing indicators, and carries the printed price on the jacket flap
- Expanded from Bear's Hugo- and Nebula-winning 1983 novelette
- Publisher imprint reads Arbor House, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Greg Bear |
| Publisher | Arbor House, New York |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Arbor House first edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing indicators, and carries the printed price on… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Arbor House first edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing indicators, and carries the printed price on the jacket flap. Expanded from Bear's Hugo- and Nebula-winning 1983 novelette.

## Is this the true first?
The US Arbor House hardcover (1985) is the true first, preceding the UK Gollancz edition (1986) and all paperback issues.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book club edition shows a rear-board gutter blindstamp, an unpriced 'Book Club Edition' jacket, and thinner boards; the Arbor House 'First Edition' statement is absent and the copyright page differs.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Blood Music* by Greg Bear a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/blood-music
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.