The points of issue
First UK edition, London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, copyright page stating 'First published in Great Britain 1979'; slim octavo in black paper boards with the yellow typographic Gollancz dust jacket. Carter's landmark feminist fairy-tale collection and her most collected title.
Is this the true first?
UK Gollancz (1979) is the true first. The US Harper & Row edition also appeared in 1979; the UK edition is the established first, the US being a same-year American issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club edition; later Penguin and Vintage printings are reprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First UK edition, London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, copyright page stating 'First published in Great Britain 1979'; slim octavo in black paper boards with the yellow typographic Gollancz dust jacket. Carter's landmark feminist fairy-tale collection and her most collected title.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Gollancz (1979) is the true first. The US Harper & Row edition also appeared in 1979; the UK edition is the established first, the US being a same-year American issue.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No major book-club edition; later Penguin and Vintage printings are reprints.
I have a first edition of The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.