# Is "The Light Fantastic" by Terry Pratchett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett (Colin Smythe, 1986) is identified by: True first is the Colin Smythe Ltd hardcover, 1986, with the first-published statement on the copyright page and no reprint line. The UK Colin Smythe 1986 hardcover is the world first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the Colin Smythe Ltd hardcover, 1986, with the first-published statement on the copyright page and no reprint line
- Full wrap-around dust-jacket art by Josh Kirby (his first Discworld cover)
- Second Discworld novel. with its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Colin Smythe
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Terry Pratchett |
| Publisher | Colin Smythe |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the Colin Smythe Ltd hardcover, 1986, with the first-published statement on the copyright page and no reprint line |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the Colin Smythe Ltd hardcover, 1986, with the first-published statement on the copyright page and no reprint line. Full wrap-around dust-jacket art by Josh Kirby (his first Discworld cover). Second Discworld novel. with its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Colin Smythe 1986 hardcover is the world first. The US hardcover appeared only as a Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club edition (dated 1987 on the copyright page), and the Corgi paperback follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Doubleday SF Book Club edition (copyright page reads 'First Published in 1987 by Colin Smythe Limited') and Corgi paperbacks are not the true first. Confirm the Colin Smythe hardcover imprint and the 1986 first-printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Light Fantastic* by Terry Pratchett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-light-fantastic
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.