# Is "The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil" by George Saunders a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders (Riverhead Books, 2005) is identified by: First US Riverhead hardcover edition, identified by the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and the stated jacket price of 16.95 on the front flap. US Riverhead hardcover of 2005 is the true first; a UK Bloomsbury edition followed and does not precede it.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US Riverhead hardcover edition, identified by the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and the stated jacket price of 16.95 on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Riverhead Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Saunders |
| Publisher | Riverhead Books |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US Riverhead hardcover edition, identified by the full number line ending in 1 on… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Novella. First US Riverhead hardcover edition, identified by the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and the stated jacket price of 16.95 on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Riverhead hardcover of 2005 is the true first; a UK Bloomsbury edition followed and does not precede it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil* by George Saunders a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-brief-and-frightening-reign-of-phil
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.