# Is "Surface Detail" by Iain M. Banks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2010) is identified by: UK Orbit (London) hardcover, ISBN 9781841498935, 628 pages, bound in black boards with white titling to the spine; the copyright page states "First published in Great Britain in 2010" with a full number line ending in 1. The UK Orbit hardcover, published 7 October 2010, is the true first; the US Orbit edition (ISBN 9780316123402) followed the same month and is a separate 'first US' state.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Orbit (London) hardcover, ISBN 9781841498935, 628 pages, bound in black boards with white titling to the spine; the copyright page states "First published in Great Britain in 2010" with a full number line ending in 1
- Issued in an illustrated, unclipped jacket that should retain its printed front-flap price
- A Culture novel
- Publisher imprint reads Orbit
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Iain M. Banks |
| Publisher | Orbit |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Orbit (London) hardcover, ISBN 9781841498935, 628 pages, bound in black boards with white titling to the spine; the copyright page… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
UK Orbit (London) hardcover, ISBN 9781841498935, 628 pages, bound in black boards with white titling to the spine; the copyright page states "First published in Great Britain in 2010" with a full number line ending in 1. Issued in an illustrated, unclipped jacket that should retain its printed front-flap price. A Culture novel.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Orbit hardcover, published 7 October 2010, is the true first; the US Orbit edition (ISBN 9780316123402) followed the same month and is a separate 'first US' state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable; the US Orbit edition is a distinct first-US state, and later printings drop the 1 from the number line. Watch for remainder-marked copies.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Surface Detail* by Iain M. Banks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/surface-detail
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.