# Is "Nightflyers" by George R.R. Martin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Nightflyers by George R.R. Martin (Bluejay Books, 1985) is identified by: Collection of six stories. US Bluejay trade paperback is the true first of the expanded six-story collection.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Collection of six stories
- The first edition is the US Bluejay Books trade paperback, December 1985, first printing stated; issued in pictorial wrappers with cover art by James Warhola
- The title novella later became the basis of a film and television series
- Publisher imprint reads Bluejay Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George R.R. Martin |
| Publisher | Bluejay Books |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Collection of six stories |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Collection of six stories. The first edition is the US Bluejay Books trade paperback, December 1985, first printing stated; issued in pictorial wrappers with cover art by James Warhola. The title novella later became the basis of a film and television series.

## Is this the true first?
US Bluejay trade paperback is the true first of the expanded six-story collection.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The title novella appeared earlier in shorter form, including an expanded novella version in Dell's 1981 Binary Star No. 5 double volume paired with Vernor Vinge's True Names; later Tor and other reprints of the collection differ.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Nightflyers* by George R.R. Martin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/nightflyers
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.