The points of issue
Collected essays and criticism; navy cloth-covered boards with silver spine lettering; copyright page carries a full number line ending in 1 (first printing); dust jacket priced 17.99 net.
Is this the true first?
The UK Granta first edition (1991) precedes the US Viking edition (1991) and is the true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add a printing statement or remove the 1 from the number line.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981–1991 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Collected essays and criticism; navy cloth-covered boards with silver spine lettering; copyright page carries a full number line ending in 1 (first printing); dust jacket priced 17.99 net.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The UK Granta first edition (1991) precedes the US Viking edition (1991) and is the true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings add a printing statement or remove the 1 from the number line.
I have a first edition of Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981–1991 — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.