# Is "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline" by George Saunders a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders (Random House, 1996) is identified by: Copyright page states First Edition with a Random House number line whose lowest number is 2 (for example 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9). The US Random House hardcover is the true first; later UK and trade-paperback editions follow.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states First Edition with a Random House number line whose lowest number is 2 (for example 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9)
- For Random House in this era, a line ending in 2 together with the First Edition statement marks the first printing; the loss of the First Edition statement, leaving the 2, indicates a later printing
- First-issue jacket carries the printed retail price
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Saunders |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states First Edition with a Random House number line whose lowest number is 2 (for example 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states First Edition with a Random House number line whose lowest number is 2 (for example 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9). For Random House in this era, a line ending in 2 together with the First Edition statement marks the first printing; the loss of the First Edition statement, leaving the 2, indicates a later printing. First-issue jacket carries the printed retail price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House hardcover is the true first; later UK and trade-paperback editions follow. The hardcover first of this debut collection is comparatively scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; reprints appear as Riverhead and later Random House trade paperbacks with different pagination and ISBN.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *CivilWarLand in Bad Decline* by George Saunders a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/civilwarland-in-bad-decline
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.