# Is "Holy Fire" by Bruce Sterling a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling (Bantam Spectra, 1996) is identified by: Bantam Spectra hardcover, first printing with the copyright-page statement reading 'A Bantam Spectra Book' followed by 'October 1996', and a number line ending in 1. US Bantam Spectra hardcover (October 1996) is the true first; the Millennium UK edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam Spectra hardcover, first printing with the copyright-page statement reading 'A Bantam Spectra Book' followed by 'October 1996', and a number line ending in 1
- ISBN 0-553-09958-2
- Bound with a black paper spine over burgundy paper-covered boards
- The first-issue dust jacket should carry 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 | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam Spectra hardcover, first printing with the copyright-page statement reading 'A Bantam Spectra Book' followed by 'October 1996', and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bantam Spectra hardcover, first printing with the copyright-page statement reading 'A Bantam Spectra Book' followed by 'October 1996', and a number line ending in 1. ISBN 0-553-09958-2. Bound with a black paper spine over burgundy paper-covered boards. The first-issue dust jacket should carry the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Bantam Spectra hardcover (October 1996) is the true first; the Millennium UK edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Issued in trade hardcover; no book-club issue is the identifying first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Holy Fire* by Bruce Sterling a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/holy-fire
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.