# Is "Dreamsongs (retrospective collection, 2 vols)" by George R.R. Martin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Dreamsongs (retrospective collection, 2 vols) by George R.R. Martin (Subterranean Press, 2003) is identified by: First published as GRRM: A RRetrospective, a single massive hardcover from Subterranean Press, 2003, debuting at Torcon 3. The Subterranean Press GRRM: A RRetrospective (2003) is the true first edition in all three states.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published as GRRM: A RRetrospective, a single massive hardcover from Subterranean Press, 2003, debuting at Torcon 3
- Issued in three states: a trade cloth hardcover, a 400-copy signed numbered limited in slipcase (accompanied by The Last Defender of Camelot chapbook), and a 52-copy signed lettered state in traycase with extra original art
- Retitled Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective for the Gollancz UK one-volume hardcover
- and the Bantam US two-volume hardcover set
- Publisher imprint reads Subterranean Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George R.R. Martin |
| Publisher | Subterranean Press |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published as GRRM: A RRetrospective, a single massive hardcover from Subterranean Press, 2003, debuting at Torcon 3 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First published as GRRM: A RRetrospective, a single massive hardcover from Subterranean Press, 2003, debuting at Torcon 3. Issued in three states: a trade cloth hardcover, a 400-copy signed numbered limited in slipcase (accompanied by The Last Defender of Camelot chapbook), and a 52-copy signed lettered state in traycase with extra original art. Retitled Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective for the Gollancz UK one-volume hardcover (2006) and the Bantam US two-volume hardcover set (2007).

## Is this the true first?
The Subterranean Press GRRM: A RRetrospective (2003) is the true first edition in all three states. The Gollancz one-volume edition (2006) is the first UK trade; the Bantam two-volume set (2007) is the first US trade under the Dreamsongs title.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
All Dreamsongs-titled trade editions (Gollancz 2006, Bantam 2007, and later paperbacks) postdate the 2003 Subterranean issues.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Dreamsongs (retrospective collection, 2 vols)* by George R.R. Martin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/dreamsongs-retrospective-collection-2-vols
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.