# Is "Chaos: Making a New Science" by James Gleick a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick (Viking, 1987) is identified by: Viking first edition (published October 29, 1987), copyright page carrying the 'First published in 1987 by Viking' statement with a full number line ending in 1 (ISBN 0-670-81178-5). The US Viking edition is the true first, preceding the UK (William Heinemann) edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Viking first edition (published October 29, 1987), copyright page carrying the 'First published in 1987 by Viking' statement with a full number line ending in 1 (ISBN 0-670-81178-5)
- Bound in black cloth over boards; the first-issue dust jacket shows the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Gleick |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Viking first edition (published October 29, 1987), copyright page carrying the 'First published in 1987 by Viking' statement with a full… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Viking first edition (published October 29, 1987), copyright page carrying the 'First published in 1987 by Viking' statement with a full number line ending in 1 (ISBN 0-670-81178-5). Bound in black cloth over boards; the first-issue dust jacket shows the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking edition is the true first, preceding the UK (William Heinemann) edition. A later anniversary edition with a new preface is a 'first thus,' not the first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club hardcover of note; the usual confusion is later Viking printings and the anniversary reissue. The complete number line ending in 1 plus the priced first-issue jacket and black cloth binding identify the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Chaos: Making a New Science* by James Gleick a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/chaos-making-a-new-science
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.