# Is "Light" by M. John Harrison a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Light by M. John Harrison (Gollancz, 2002) is identified by: UK Gollancz hardcover, London, 2002; issued in dust jacket. The UK Gollancz 2002 hardcover is the true first; the US Bantam Spectra edition (2004) is the first US.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Gollancz hardcover, London, 2002; issued in dust jacket
- First book of the Kefahuchi Tract trilogy
- Confirm a true first by the 2002 Gollancz title page and the absence of any later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads Gollancz
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | M. John Harrison |
| Publisher | Gollancz |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Gollancz hardcover, London, 2002; issued in dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Gollancz hardcover, London, 2002; issued in dust jacket. First book of the Kefahuchi Tract trilogy. Confirm a true first by the 2002 Gollancz title page and the absence of any later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Gollancz 2002 hardcover is the true first; the US Bantam Spectra edition (2004) is the first US. Light won the 2002 James Tiptree Jr. Award and was shortlisted for the 2003 Arthur C. Clarke Award; the trilogy's second volume, Nova Swing, later won the Clarke Award.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US Bantam Spectra is the first US, not the true first; later printings and reissues are reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Light* by M. John Harrison a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/light
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.