# Is "Ilium" by Dan Simmons a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ilium by Dan Simmons (Eos / HarperCollins, 2003) is identified by: Eos, an imprint of HarperCollins, New York, 2003. The US Eos trade hardcover is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Eos, an imprint of HarperCollins, New York, 2003
- The first printing shows a complete number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, terminating in 1
- The first-issue dust jacket carries art by Gary Ruddell and should retain its printed price on the front flap; it is unclipped when original
- ISBN 0-380-97893-8
- Publisher imprint reads Eos / HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dan Simmons |
| Publisher | Eos / HarperCollins |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Eos, an imprint of HarperCollins, New York, 2003 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Eos, an imprint of HarperCollins, New York, 2003. The first printing shows a complete number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, terminating in 1. The first-issue dust jacket carries art by Gary Ruddell and should retain its printed price on the front flap; it is unclipped when original. ISBN 0-380-97893-8.

## Is this the true first?
The US Eos trade hardcover is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition followed. A separate Subterranean Press signed limited edition of numbered copies also exists and should not be confused with the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the full number line ending in 1 and omit the printed jacket price; the Gary Ruddell jacket art is shared, so rely on the copyright-page number line and the presence of the flap price to distinguish the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ilium* by Dan Simmons a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ilium
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.