# Is "Spin Control" by Chris Moriarty a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Spin Control by Chris Moriarty (Bantam Spectra, 2006) is identified by: US Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original, 2006, published in the summer of that year; the first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. The US Bantam Spectra paperback original of 2006 is the true first trade edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original, 2006, published in the summer of that year; the first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- The wrappers carry a printed cover price that should be present rather than obscured
- This paperback is the first trade edition, the novel having been published directly into paperback rather than preceded by a trade hardcover
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Spectra
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Chris Moriarty |
| Publisher | Bantam Spectra |
| Year | 2006 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original, 2006, published in the summer of that year; the first printing is identified by a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original, 2006, published in the summer of that year; the first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. The wrappers carry a printed cover price that should be present rather than obscured. This paperback is the first trade edition, the novel having been published directly into paperback rather than preceded by a trade hardcover.

## Is this the true first?
The US Bantam Spectra paperback original of 2006 is the true first trade edition. It won the Philip K. Dick Award presented in 2007 for works published in 2006. Second book in the Spin trilogy, following Spin State. A Science Fiction Book Club hardcover was also issued in 2006 but is a book-club edition, not the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A 2006 Science Fiction Book Club hardcover (a distinct ISBN, longer paginated) is a book-club printing and not the true first; it is later than and secondary to the Spectra paperback original. Other reissues are reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Spin Control* by Chris Moriarty a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/spin-control
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.