# Is "Song of Time" by Ian R. MacLeod a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Song of Time by Ian R. MacLeod (PS Publishing, 2008) is identified by: UK PS Publishing hardcover, 2008. UK PS Publishing 2008 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK PS Publishing hardcover, 2008
- PS issued the title in two states: an unsigned trade hardcover and a signed, numbered, slipcased limited edition with a limitation page (the signed limited was a small numbered run)
- Publisher imprint reads PS Publishing
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ian R. MacLeod |
| Publisher | PS Publishing |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK PS Publishing hardcover, 2008 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
UK PS Publishing hardcover, 2008. PS issued the title in two states: an unsigned trade hardcover and a signed, numbered, slipcased limited edition with a limitation page (the signed limited was a small numbered run).

## Is this the true first?
UK PS Publishing 2008 is the true first. Winner of the 2009 Arthur C. Clarke Award. As is typical for PS Publishing, the signed/numbered slipcased limited is the more sought-after first state, alongside the unsigned trade hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; later mass-market or trade printings are reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Song of Time* by Ian R. MacLeod a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/song-of-time
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.