# Is "Heavy Water and Other Stories" by Martin Amis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Heavy Water and Other Stories by Martin Amis (Jonathan Cape, 1998) is identified by: UK Jonathan Cape first edition, 1998, in hardcover boards with a gilt-lettered spine and a dust jacket. UK Jonathan Cape (1998) is the true first edition, preceding the first US edition from Harmony Books (1999).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Jonathan Cape first edition, 1998, in hardcover boards with a gilt-lettered spine and a dust jacket
- The first printing is identified by the printer's key '2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1' beneath the line 'Published by Jonathan Cape 1998' on the copyright page; the jacket should retain its printed price
- Later impressions advance the key or add a stated impression line
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Martin Amis |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Jonathan Cape first edition, 1998, in hardcover boards with a gilt-lettered spine and a dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Jonathan Cape first edition, 1998, in hardcover boards with a gilt-lettered spine and a dust jacket. The first printing is identified by the printer's key '2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1' beneath the line 'Published by Jonathan Cape 1998' on the copyright page; the jacket should retain its printed price. Later impressions advance the key or add a stated impression line.

## Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape (1998) is the true first edition, preceding the first US edition from Harmony Books (1999).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are identified by an advanced number line or an added impression statement; the priced, unclipped Cape jacket with the '2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1' key marks the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Heavy Water and Other Stories* by Martin Amis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/heavy-water-and-other-stories
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.