# Is "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Crown Publishers, 2011) is identified by: Copyright page states "First Edition" with the Crown colophon, a full number line ending in 1, and the date code the printed price. US Crown is the true first (2011); UK Century followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states "First Edition" with the Crown colophon, a full number line ending in 1, and the date code the printed price
- The first-state jacket carries its printed price on the flap and has NO "New York Times Bestseller" slug on the front panel and no film tie-in banding; that bestseller line appears only on later printings
- Debut novel, published August 16, 2011
- Publisher imprint reads Crown Publishers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ernest Cline |
| Publisher | Crown Publishers |
| Year | 2011 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states "First Edition" with the Crown colophon, a full number line ending in 1, and the date code the printed price |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states "First Edition" with the Crown colophon, a full number line ending in 1, and the date code the printed price. The first-state jacket carries its printed price on the flap and has NO "New York Times Bestseller" slug on the front panel and no film tie-in banding; that bestseller line appears only on later printings. Debut novel, published August 16, 2011.

## Is this the true first?
US Crown is the true first (2011); UK Century followed. A cult debut later adapted by Spielberg; Cline is known for signing copies with a hidden Easter-egg message.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; later printings drop the terminal 1, add the New York Times Bestseller slug to the front panel, or add film-tie-in bands. Film tie-in editions are clearly distinct.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ready Player One* by Ernest Cline a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ready-player-one
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.