# Is "Phases of Gravity" by Dan Simmons a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Phases of Gravity by Dan Simmons (Bantam Spectra, 1989) is identified by: Bantam Spectra paperback original, April 1989, issued as A Bantam Spectra Special Edition (Bantam book number 27764). The 1989 Bantam Spectra paperback original is the true first edition; the first hardcover appeared roughly a year later, so the paperback precedes all hardcover printings.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam Spectra paperback original, April 1989, issued as A Bantam Spectra Special Edition (Bantam book number 27764)
- The true first printing carries a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Simmons's third book, published between Carrion Comfort and Hyperion; no earlier hardcover exists, so the mass-market paperback is the genuine first appearance in print
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Spectra
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dan Simmons |
| Publisher | Bantam Spectra |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam Spectra paperback original, April 1989, issued as A Bantam Spectra Special Edition (Bantam book number 27764) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Bantam Spectra paperback original, April 1989, issued as A Bantam Spectra Special Edition (Bantam book number 27764). The true first printing carries a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Simmons's third book, published between Carrion Comfort and Hyperion; no earlier hardcover exists, so the mass-market paperback is the genuine first appearance in print.

## Is this the true first?
The 1989 Bantam Spectra paperback original is the true first edition; the first hardcover appeared roughly a year later, so the paperback precedes all hardcover printings. Confirm the first printing by the full number line ending in 1.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
N/A. As a paperback original there is no book-club edition to confuse; the later hardcover is a separate, subsequent issue rather than a book club.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Phases of Gravity* by Dan Simmons a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/phases-of-gravity
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.