# Is "The Algebraist" by Iain M. Banks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2004) is identified by: First edition published by Orbit, London, 2004, in publisher's brown cloth boards with silver titling to the spine; 534 pages (ISBN 1-84149-155-1). The UK Orbit hardcover (2004) is the true first; the US edition (Night Shade Books) followed in 2005.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition published by Orbit, London, 2004, in publisher's brown cloth boards with silver titling to the spine
- 534 pages (ISBN 1-84149-155-1)
- The copyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2004 by Orbit'; the priced dust jacket should be present and unclipped
- A non-Culture SF novel; a signed, numbered limited issue also exists with a limitation page
- Publisher imprint reads Orbit
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Iain M. Banks |
| Publisher | Orbit |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition published by Orbit, London, 2004, in publisher's brown cloth boards with silver titling to the spine |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition published by Orbit, London, 2004, in publisher's brown cloth boards with silver titling to the spine; 534 pages (ISBN 1-84149-155-1). The copyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2004 by Orbit'; the priced dust jacket should be present and unclipped. A non-Culture SF novel; a signed, numbered limited issue also exists with a limitation page.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Orbit hardcover (2004) is the true first; the US edition (Night Shade Books) followed in 2005.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Algebraist* by Iain M. Banks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-algebraist
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.