The points of issue
DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors No. 396 (catalog code UE1554), stated First Printing, August 1980, on the copyright page; David B. Mattingly cover art.
Is this the true first?
The US DAW paperback (August 1980) is the first trade edition and the true first as collected; a Nelson Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club hardcover actually preceded it in May 1980 but is a book-club edition, not a trade first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
An SFBC hardcover exists (Nelson Doubleday, May 1980); it lacks a cover price and carries a gutter code, marking it as a book-club edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Serpent's Reach a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: DAW paperback original, DAW Collectors No. 396 (catalog code UE1554), stated First Printing, August 1980, on the copyright page; David B. Mattingly cover art.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US DAW paperback (August 1980) is the first trade edition and the true first as collected; a Nelson Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club hardcover actually preceded it in May 1980 but is a book-club edition, not a trade first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
An SFBC hardcover exists (Nelson Doubleday, May 1980); it lacks a cover price and carries a gutter code, marking it as a book-club edition.
I have a first edition of Serpent's Reach — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.