# Is "The Neutronium Alchemist" by Peter F. Hamilton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Neutronium Alchemist by Peter F. Hamilton (Macmillan, 1997) is identified by: Macmillan UK hardcover, Book Two of the Night's Dawn Trilogy, published 20 October 1997. UK Macmillan hardcover (20 October 1997) is the true first; US Warner again split the text into two paperbacks (Consolidation and Conflict), which are not the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Macmillan UK hardcover, Book Two of the Night's Dawn Trilogy, published 20 October 1997
- First printing identified by the number line 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page
- Colour pictorial unclipped jacket with cover art by Jim Burns, title lettered in white to the spine, and the printed price retained on the front flap
- A signed limited state was also issued (limitation of 500 numbered and 26 lettered copies), separate from the trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter F. Hamilton |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Macmillan UK hardcover, Book Two of the Night's Dawn Trilogy, published 20 October 1997 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Macmillan UK hardcover, Book Two of the Night's Dawn Trilogy, published 20 October 1997. First printing identified by the number line 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page. Colour pictorial unclipped jacket with cover art by Jim Burns, title lettered in white to the spine, and the printed price retained on the front flap. A signed limited state was also issued (limitation of 500 numbered and 26 lettered copies), separate from the trade first.

## Is this the true first?
UK Macmillan hardcover (20 October 1997) is the true first; US Warner again split the text into two paperbacks (Consolidation and Conflict), which are not the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable; the true first is the single-volume Macmillan hardcover with the 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 line, Jim Burns jacket, and priced flap. The US two-volume split paperbacks are not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Neutronium Alchemist* by Peter F. Hamilton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-neutronium-alchemist
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.