# Is "Drood" by Dan Simmons a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Drood by Dan Simmons (Little, Brown, 2009) is identified by: Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 2009 (published February 9, 2009). US Little, Brown true first; the UK Quercus edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 2009 (published February 9, 2009)
- The copyright page states 'First Edition: February 2009' accompanied by a complete number line ending in 1
- Quarter-bound with a black cloth spine (titled in gilt) over red paper-covered boards; collation approximately [vi], 777, [1] pages, in a color pictorial dust wrapper carrying the publisher's printed price, which should be present and unclipped
- ISBN 9780316007023
- An advance reading copy also precedes the trade issue
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dan Simmons |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 2009 (published February 9, 2009) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 2009 (published February 9, 2009). The copyright page states 'First Edition: February 2009' accompanied by a complete number line ending in 1. Quarter-bound with a black cloth spine (titled in gilt) over red paper-covered boards; collation approximately [vi], 777, [1] pages, in a color pictorial dust wrapper carrying the publisher's printed price, which should be present and unclipped. ISBN 9780316007023. An advance reading copy also precedes the trade issue.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown true first; the UK Quercus edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the 'First Edition: February 2009' statement, the number line, and the printed jacket price; identify the first by that dated statement plus the number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Drood* by Dan Simmons a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/drood
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.