# Is "Prayers to Broken Stones" by Dan Simmons a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Prayers to Broken Stones by Dan Simmons (Dark Harvest, 1990) is identified by: Dark Harvest first edition, Arlington Heights, Illinois, with an introduction by Harlan Ellison; issued as a trade edition plus a signed limited edition of 550 numbered copies signed by Simmons and illustrators Ron and Val Lakey Lindahn, and a 52-copy lettered issue. Dark Harvest true first; the UK Headline edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Dark Harvest first edition, Arlington Heights, Illinois, with an introduction by Harlan Ellison; issued as a trade edition plus a signed limited edition of 550 numbered copies signed by Simmons and illustrators Ron and Val Lakey Lindahn, and a 52-copy lettered issue
- Story collection
- Publisher imprint reads Dark Harvest
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dan Simmons |
| Publisher | Dark Harvest |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Dark Harvest first edition, Arlington Heights, Illinois, with an introduction by Harlan Ellison; issued as a trade edition plus a signed… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Dark Harvest first edition, Arlington Heights, Illinois, with an introduction by Harlan Ellison; issued as a trade edition plus a signed limited edition of 550 numbered copies signed by Simmons and illustrators Ron and Val Lakey Lindahn, and a 52-copy lettered issue. Story collection.

## Is this the true first?
Dark Harvest true first; the UK Headline edition followed. The signed limited is the collectible issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; specialty press publication.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Prayers to Broken Stones* by Dan Simmons a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/prayers-to-broken-stones
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.