# Is "The Obelisk Gate" by N. K. Jemisin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin (Orbit, 2016) is identified by: First edition is the Orbit trade paperback original (US, August 16, 2016), in wraps, first printing identified by a number line ending in 1, with the original printed cover price. The Orbit 2016 trade paperback original is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition is the Orbit trade paperback original (US, August 16, 2016), in wraps, first printing identified by a number line ending in 1, with the original printed cover price
- Second volume of the Broken Earth Trilogy; won the 2017 Hugo for Best Novel
- Publisher imprint reads Orbit
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | N. K. Jemisin |
| Publisher | Orbit |
| Year | 2016 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition is the Orbit trade paperback original (US, August 16, 2016), in wraps, first printing identified by a number line ending in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition is the Orbit trade paperback original (US, August 16, 2016), in wraps, first printing identified by a number line ending in 1, with the original printed cover price. Second volume of the Broken Earth Trilogy; won the 2017 Hugo for Best Novel.

## Is this the true first?
The Orbit 2016 trade paperback original is the true first edition. A later Subterranean Press signed/limited hardcover is a separate state, a first thus.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Verify the trade paperback first printing by the number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Obelisk Gate* by N. K. Jemisin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-obelisk-gate
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.