The points of issue
US Bantam Spectra trade paperback original, 1994 (ISBN 0-553-37365-X); first printing indicated by the number line counting down to 1.
Is this the true first?
The US Bantam Spectra paperback original (1994) is the true first; there was no true preceding US hardcover trade edition. Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award for 1994 (presented 1995).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Listings tagged hardcover at the same ISBN are generally library or rebound copies, not a separate first hardcover. Later reissues are reprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Mysterium a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US Bantam Spectra trade paperback original, 1994 (ISBN 0-553-37365-X); first printing indicated by the number line counting down to 1.
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 US Bantam Spectra paperback original (1994) is the true first; there was no true preceding US hardcover trade edition. Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award for 1994 (presented 1995).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Listings tagged hardcover at the same ISBN are generally library or rebound copies, not a separate first hardcover. Later reissues are reprints.
I have a first edition of Mysterium — 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.