The points of issue
Gollancz UK hardcover, priced jacket, number line including 1. Prefect Dreyfus Emergency vol. 2.
Is this the true first?
Publication was nearly simultaneous: the Orbit US trade paperback appeared 23 January 2018, two days before the Gollancz UK hardcover (25 January 2018). The Gollancz hardcover is the first hardcover edition and the one collectors treat as primary, but it is not strictly the earliest printing.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Elysium Fire a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Gollancz UK hardcover, priced jacket, number line including 1. Prefect Dreyfus Emergency vol. 2.
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. Publication was nearly simultaneous: the Orbit US trade paperback appeared 23 January 2018, two days before the Gollancz UK hardcover (25 January 2018). The Gollancz hardcover is the first hardcover edition and the one collectors treat as primary, but it is not strictly the earliest printing.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
None notable.
I have a first edition of Elysium Fire — 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.