The points of issue
Oversized board-page hardcover that opens vertically, Pantheon, 2004, ISBN 0-375-42307-6. A first printing shows the number line ending in 1. Heavy card-stock pages throughout.
Is this the true first?
The plates were first serialized in the German newspaper Die Zeit and in the Forward; the US Pantheon board-book hardcover is the first book edition and the true first as a collected book.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of In the Shadow of No Towers a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Oversized board-page hardcover that opens vertically, Pantheon, 2004, ISBN 0-375-42307-6. A first printing shows the number line ending in 1. Heavy card-stock pages throughout.
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 plates were first serialized in the German newspaper Die Zeit and in the Forward; the US Pantheon board-book hardcover is the first book edition and the true first as a collected book.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition.
I have a first edition of In the Shadow of No Towers — 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.