# Is "Prisoner's Dilemma" by Richard Powers a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Prisoner's Dilemma by Richard Powers (Beech Tree Books / William Morrow, 1988) is identified by: First printing states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1; jacket priced 19.the printed price. US Beech Tree Books/William Morrow first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1; jacket priced 19.the printed price
- Issued under the Beech Tree Books imprint of William Morrow
- Publisher imprint reads Beech Tree Books / William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Powers |
| Publisher | Beech Tree Books / William Morrow |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1; jacket priced… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1; jacket priced 19.the printed price. Issued under the Beech Tree Books imprint of William Morrow.

## Is this the true first?
US Beech Tree Books/William Morrow first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Prisoner's Dilemma* by Richard Powers a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/prisoners-dilemma
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.