The points of issue
Discworld 22. UK Doubleday (Transworld), published 1 May 1998 (ISBN 0-385-40989-3); the first Discworld hardcover after the move from Gollancz. No number line: the copyright page simply reads Published 1998 by Doubleday, and reprints add a Reprinted line. Two issues of the first impression exist: about 10,000 copies for the Australian market with deep blue endpapers and plain spine blocking, and the UK home issue with red endpapers and spine lettering matching the dust jacket.
Is this the true first?
UK Doubleday true first; the US edition follows. Hardcover Discworld novels move from Gollancz to Doubleday with this title.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints are marked Reprinted on the copyright page; Corgi paperbacks and book club copies differ from the trade first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Last Continent a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Discworld 22. UK Doubleday (Transworld), published 1 May 1998 (ISBN 0-385-40989-3); the first Discworld hardcover after the move from Gollancz. No number line: the copyright page simply reads Published 1998 by Doubleday, and reprints add a Reprinted line. Two issues of the first impression exist: about 10,000 copies for the Australian market with deep blue endpapers and plain spine blocking, and the UK home issue with red endpapers and spine lettering matching the dust jacket.
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 Doubleday true first; the US edition follows. Hardcover Discworld novels move from Gollancz to Doubleday with this title.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Reprints are marked Reprinted on the copyright page; Corgi paperbacks and book club copies differ from the trade first.
I have a first edition of The Last Continent — 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.