The points of issue
US Bantam Spectra hardcover, December 1998; ISBN 0553104845; black paper boards, dust jacket printed with the price on the front flap. Identify the first printing by a complete number line whose lowest digit is 1.
Is this the true first?
The US Bantam Spectra hardcover of 1998 is the true first; the UK edition followed. The novel won the 2000 Arthur C. Clarke Award and was a 1999 Hugo nominee.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club hardcover exists (typically blind-stamped on the rear board and lacking a printed jacket price); it is a book-club edition, not the true first. Later printings are reprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Distraction a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US Bantam Spectra hardcover, December 1998; ISBN 0553104845; black paper boards, dust jacket printed with the price on the front flap. Identify the first printing by a complete number line whose lowest digit is 1.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Bantam Spectra hardcover of 1998 is the true first; the UK edition followed. The novel won the 2000 Arthur C. Clarke Award and was a 1999 Hugo nominee.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
A Science Fiction Book Club hardcover exists (typically blind-stamped on the rear board and lacking a printed jacket price); it is a book-club edition, not the true first. Later printings are reprints.
I have a first edition of Distraction — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.