# Is "Children of the Night" by Dan Simmons a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Children of the Night by Dan Simmons (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1992) is identified by: First US trade edition, G.P. The Putnam trade edition is the standard US first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US trade edition, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1992
- First printings carry the number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page
- Bound in quarter black cloth over grey paper boards with gilt spine lettering, with maps printed on the endpapers and pastedowns
- The dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dan Simmons |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US trade edition, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1992 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First US trade edition, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1992. First printings carry the number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page. Bound in quarter black cloth over grey paper boards with gilt spine lettering, with maps printed on the endpapers and pastedowns. The dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The Putnam trade edition is the standard US first. A slipcased signed limited edition from Lord John Press, issued without dust jacket, also appeared in 1992.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the number line and the printed jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Children of the Night* by Dan Simmons a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/children-of-the-night
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.