# Is "Excession" by Iain M. Banks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Excession by Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 1996) is identified by: Orbit (London) hardcover, 1996, ISBN 1-85723-394-8, approximately 455 pages. The Orbit UK hardcover of 1996 is the true first edition; the US edition (Bantam Spectra) followed in 1997, so the London printing precedes it.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Orbit (London) hardcover, 1996, ISBN 1-85723-394-8, approximately 455 pages
- The copyright page carries the statement 'First published in Great Britain in 1996 by Orbit' with a descending printer's number line ending in 1 to denote the first impression
- Issued in publisher's boards with a priced pictorial dust jacket; the printed price should be present on the jacket flap of a true first-issue copy
- A Culture novel
- Publisher imprint reads Orbit
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Iain M. Banks |
| Publisher | Orbit |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Orbit (London) hardcover, 1996, ISBN 1-85723-394-8, approximately 455 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Orbit (London) hardcover, 1996, ISBN 1-85723-394-8, approximately 455 pages. The copyright page carries the statement 'First published in Great Britain in 1996 by Orbit' with a descending printer's number line ending in 1 to denote the first impression. Issued in publisher's boards with a priced pictorial dust jacket; the printed price should be present on the jacket flap of a true first-issue copy. A Culture novel.

## Is this the true first?
The Orbit UK hardcover of 1996 is the true first edition; the US edition (Bantam Spectra) followed in 1997, so the London printing precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Excession* by Iain M. Banks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/excession
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.