# Is "Startide Rising" by David Brin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Startide Rising by David Brin (Bantam Books, New York, 1983) is identified by: The true first edition is the Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original, May 1983, with the number line ending in 1 and 'Bantam edition / May 1983' on the copyright page. The true first is the Bantam paperback original of May 1983.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first edition is the Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original, May 1983, with the number line ending in 1 and 'Bantam edition / May 1983' on the copyright page
- There was no preceding hardcover
- Hugo and Nebula winner
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | David Brin |
| Publisher | Bantam Books, New York |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first edition is the Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original, May 1983, with the number line ending in 1 and 'Bantam edition… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first edition is the Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original, May 1983, with the number line ending in 1 and 'Bantam edition / May 1983' on the copyright page. There was no preceding hardcover. Hugo and Nebula winner.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the Bantam paperback original of May 1983. The Phantasia Press hardcover is a later first hardcover edition dated 1985 (not 1983); it presents a revised text and was issued in a run of 1,575 copies, of which 375 were numbered, slipcased, and signed on the limitation page. Verify its limitation page for the numbered state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish the paperback original true first (number line to 1, 'Bantam edition / May 1983') from later Bantam printings and from the separate 1985 Phantasia Press hardcover. There is no standard book club edition of the priority paperback.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Startide Rising* by David Brin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/startide-rising
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.