# Is "Portraits of His Children" by George R.R. Martin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Portraits of His Children by George R.R. Martin (Dark Harvest, 1987) is identified by: Dark Harvest (Arlington Heights, Illinois) 1987, with first edition so stated on the copyright page. US Dark Harvest 1987 is the true first; the signed and numbered slipcased limited is the premium issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Dark Harvest (Arlington Heights, Illinois) 1987, with first edition so stated on the copyright page
- Issued in a trade hardcover and a slipcased limited state of 450 numbered copies signed by Martin and artists Val and Ron Lindahn (Roger Zelazny's signature, as introducer, called for as well)
- Publisher imprint reads Dark Harvest
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George R.R. Martin |
| Publisher | Dark Harvest |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Dark Harvest (Arlington Heights, Illinois) 1987, with first edition so stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Story collection. Dark Harvest (Arlington Heights, Illinois) 1987, with first edition so stated on the copyright page. Issued in a trade hardcover and a slipcased limited state of 450 numbered copies signed by Martin and artists Val and Ron Lindahn (Roger Zelazny's signature, as introducer, called for as well).

## Is this the true first?
US Dark Harvest 1987 is the true first; the signed and numbered slipcased limited is the premium issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Trade versus numbered limited distinction matters; later reprints and unnumbered copies differ from the limited state.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Portraits of His Children* by George R.R. Martin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/portraits-of-his-children
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.