# Is "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (Bantam Spectra, 1992) is identified by: First edition was the Bantam Spectra trade PAPERBACK; first printing has the full number line ending in '1.' A simultaneous/near-simultaneous hardcover issue exists but is extremely scarce. The Bantam Spectra trade paperback is the true first edition; the hardcover first issue is far scarcer and more valuable but the paperback has priority as the published first format.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition was the Bantam Spectra trade PAPERBACK; first printing has the full number line ending in '1.' A simultaneous/near-simultaneous hardcover issue exists but is extremely scarce
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Spectra
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Neal Stephenson |
| Publisher | Bantam Spectra |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition was the Bantam Spectra trade PAPERBACK; first printing has the full number line ending in '1.' A… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition was the Bantam Spectra trade PAPERBACK; first printing has the full number line ending in '1.' A simultaneous/near-simultaneous hardcover issue exists but is extremely scarce.

## Is this the true first?
The Bantam Spectra trade paperback is the true first edition; the hardcover first issue is far scarcer and more valuable but the paperback has priority as the published first format. Verify the number line ends in 1.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings have number lines not ending in 1. Reissue editions with different covers are obviously later.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Snow Crash* by Neal Stephenson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/snow-crash
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.