# Is "Cetaganda" by Lois McMaster Bujold a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen Books, 1996) is identified by: Baen hardcover published January 1996, the copyright page stating first printing with a number line ending in 1. US Baen hardcover (January 1996) is the first book edition; the novel was serialized earlier in Analog, October through December 1995.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Baen hardcover published January 1996, the copyright page stating first printing with a number line ending in 1
- Bound in black boards with silver spine lettering; cover and jacket art by Gary Ruddell
- The volume includes a series chronology at the rear
- The original dust jacket should retain its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Baen Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lois McMaster Bujold |
| Publisher | Baen Books |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Baen hardcover published January 1996, the copyright page stating first printing with a number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Baen hardcover published January 1996, the copyright page stating first printing with a number line ending in 1. Bound in black boards with silver spine lettering; cover and jacket art by Gary Ruddell. The volume includes a series chronology at the rear. The original dust jacket should retain its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US Baen hardcover (January 1996) is the first book edition; the novel was serialized earlier in Analog, October through December 1995.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club edition exists and is distinguished by a blind-stamped gutter code to the rear and an unpriced dust jacket, versus the priced trade jacket of the Baen first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Cetaganda* by Lois McMaster Bujold a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/cetaganda
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.