The points of issue
UK Unwin Hyman hardcover, London 1989, with pictorial dust jacket; full title The Child Garden, or A Low Comedy. Unwin Hyman was a short-lived imprint, making clean jacketed firsts relatively scarce.
Is this the true first?
The UK Unwin Hyman 1989 hardcover is the true first; it precedes the US St. Martin's Press edition of 1990. The novel won the 1990 Arthur C. Clarke Award and the 1990 John W. Campbell Memorial Award. It was shortlisted for, but did not win, the BSFA Award for Best Novel; the incorporated novella Love Sickness had earlier won the 1988 BSFA Award for short fiction.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The US St. Martin's edition is the first US, not the true first; later Gollancz/Bantam and SF Masterworks reissues are reprints or first thus.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Child Garden a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: UK Unwin Hyman hardcover, London 1989, with pictorial dust jacket; full title The Child Garden, or A Low Comedy. Unwin Hyman was a short-lived imprint, making clean jacketed firsts relatively scarce.
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. The UK Unwin Hyman 1989 hardcover is the true first; it precedes the US St. Martin's Press edition of 1990. The novel won the 1990 Arthur C. Clarke Award and the 1990 John W. Campbell Memorial Award. It was shortlisted for, but did not win, the BSFA Award for Best Novel; the incorporated novella Lov
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The US St. Martin's edition is the first US, not the true first; later Gollancz/Bantam and SF Masterworks reissues are reprints or first thus.
I have a first edition of The Child Garden — 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.