# Is "Heavy Weather" by Bruce Sterling a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling (Bantam Spectra, 1994) is identified by: Bantam Spectra hardcover (New York, 1994) in cloth-backed boards, with a full number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page for the first printing. The US Bantam Spectra hardcover is the true first; the Millennium/Orion UK edition (ISBN 1-85798-193-6) followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam Spectra hardcover (New York, 1994) in cloth-backed boards, with a full number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page for the first printing
- ISBN 0-553-09393-2
- The first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Spectra
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Bruce Sterling |
| Publisher | Bantam Spectra |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam Spectra hardcover (New York, 1994) in cloth-backed boards, with a full number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page for the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bantam Spectra hardcover (New York, 1994) in cloth-backed boards, with a full number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page for the first printing. ISBN 0-553-09393-2. The first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Bantam Spectra hardcover is the true first; the Millennium/Orion UK edition (ISBN 1-85798-193-6) followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
An Easton Press signed limited collector's edition (leather, gilt edges) appeared near the same time and is a distinct issue, not the trade first. No book-club state is the priority issue point here.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Heavy Weather* by Bruce Sterling a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/heavy-weather-bruce-sterling
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.