# Is "Carrion Comfort" by Dan Simmons a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons (Dark Harvest, 1989) is identified by: Oversized 8vo, 636 pp, illustrated by Dan Simmons and Kathleen McNeil Sherman. US Dark Harvest 1989 is the true first, preceding the UK Headline 1990 edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Oversized 8vo, 636 pp, illustrated by Dan Simmons and Kathleen McNeil Sherman
- Issued in three states: 26 lettered copies (signed), 450 numbered copies (signed by author and artist) plus a small number of publisher's copies marked P/C on the colophon leaf, and an unsigned trade issue (ISBN 0-913165-37-9)
- The limited states carry a limitation leaf; the trade does not
- Publisher imprint reads Dark Harvest
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dan Simmons |
| Publisher | Dark Harvest |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Oversized 8vo, 636 pp, illustrated by Dan Simmons and Kathleen McNeil Sherman |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Oversized 8vo, 636 pp, illustrated by Dan Simmons and Kathleen McNeil Sherman. Issued in three states: 26 lettered copies (signed), 450 numbered copies (signed by author and artist) plus a small number of publisher's copies marked P/C on the colophon leaf, and an unsigned trade issue (ISBN 0-913165-37-9). The limited states carry a limitation leaf; the trade does not.

## Is this the true first?
US Dark Harvest 1989 is the true first, preceding the UK Headline 1990 edition. The lettered and numbered signed states are the premium points; the trade hardcover is the affordable first. Won the Bram Stoker, Locus, and August Derleth awards.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No standard book-club edition. Later printings and the UK edition are not the first. Distinguish the signed limited (limitation leaf present) from the trade (no limitation leaf).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Carrion Comfort* by Dan Simmons a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/carrion-comfort
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.