# Is "Rimrunners" by C.J. Cherryh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Rimrunners by C.J. Cherryh (Warner/Questar, 1989) is identified by: Warner hardcover under the Questar imprint (New York, 1989), issued in cloth-backed boards. US Warner/Questar hardcover (First Printing: June 1989) is the true first; the UK New English Library hardcover did not appear until 1992.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Warner hardcover under the Questar imprint (New York, 1989), issued in cloth-backed boards
- The copyright page states "First Printing: June 1989" above a complete descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
- Priced dust jacket with Don Maitz cover art (the jacket painting went on to win the 1990 Hugo Award for Best Original Artwork); the printed jacket price should be present
- Publisher imprint reads Warner/Questar
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.J. Cherryh |
| Publisher | Warner/Questar |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Warner hardcover under the Questar imprint (New York, 1989), issued in cloth-backed boards |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Warner hardcover under the Questar imprint (New York, 1989), issued in cloth-backed boards. The copyright page states "First Printing: June 1989" above a complete descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Priced dust jacket with Don Maitz cover art (the jacket painting went on to win the 1990 Hugo Award for Best Original Artwork); the printed jacket price should be present.

## Is this the true first?
US Warner/Questar hardcover (First Printing: June 1989) is the true first; the UK New English Library hardcover did not appear until 1992.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club edition exists; the SFBC printing lacks the "First Printing: June 1989" statement and the full 10-to-1 number line and is typically identified by a blind-stamped gutter code on the rear board rather than a stated price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Rimrunners* by C.J. Cherryh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/rimrunners
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.