# Is "Summer of Night" by Dan Simmons a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Summer of Night by Dan Simmons (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1991) is identified by: Putnam's Sons US first edition (published February 1991), identified by the full number line 1 through 10 on the copyright verso. The US Putnam hardcover is the true first, published February 1991.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- G.P. Putnam's Sons US first edition (published February 1991), identified by the full number line 1 through 10 on the copyright verso
- Octavo, 555 pages, quarter-bound in black cloth with gilt lettering to the spine over grey paper boards
- First-state color pictorial dust jacket is illustrated by Hector Garrido and carries a Stephen King blurb on the rear panel; the printed jacket price should be present and unclipped on a first issue
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dan Simmons |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | G.P. Putnam's Sons US first edition (published February 1991), identified by the full number line 1 through 10 on the copyright verso |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
G.P. Putnam's Sons US first edition (published February 1991), identified by the full number line 1 through 10 on the copyright verso. Octavo, 555 pages, quarter-bound in black cloth with gilt lettering to the spine over grey paper boards. First-state color pictorial dust jacket is illustrated by Hector Garrido and carries a Stephen King blurb on the rear panel; the printed jacket price should be present and unclipped on a first issue.

## Is this the true first?
The US Putnam hardcover is the true first, published February 1991.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the 1-to-10 number line and carry no printed jacket price; the club issue is typically bound in cheaper boards with a blind gutter-code stamp to the rear cover.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Summer of Night* by Dan Simmons a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/summer-of-night
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.