# Is "The Peace War" by Vernor Vinge a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Peace War by Vernor Vinge (Bluejay Books, 1984) is identified by: Bluejay Books hardcover, an octavo of 286 pages in cloth-backed boards; the copyright page states 'First Bluejay printing: August 1984' and the title page reads 'A Bluejay International Edition'. US Bluejay hardcover (August 1984) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bluejay Books hardcover, an octavo of 286 pages in cloth-backed boards; the copyright page states 'First Bluejay printing: August 1984' and the title page reads 'A Bluejay International Edition'
- The first-state dust jacket carries cover art by Tom Kidd and the printed price at the top of the front flap, which should be present (not price-clipped) on a first-state copy
- A recognized point of the first printing: the ISBN as printed on the jacket and inside front flap ends in 5 (an error), whereas the correct ISBN ends in 3 (0-312-94342-3)
- Publisher imprint reads Bluejay Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Vernor Vinge |
| Publisher | Bluejay Books |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bluejay Books hardcover, an octavo of 286 pages in cloth-backed boards; the copyright page states 'First Bluejay printing: August 1984' and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bluejay Books hardcover, an octavo of 286 pages in cloth-backed boards; the copyright page states 'First Bluejay printing: August 1984' and the title page reads 'A Bluejay International Edition'. The first-state dust jacket carries cover art by Tom Kidd and the printed price at the top of the front flap, which should be present (not price-clipped) on a first-state copy. A recognized point of the first printing: the ISBN as printed on the jacket and inside front flap ends in 5 (an error), whereas the correct ISBN ends in 3 (0-312-94342-3).

## Is this the true first?
US Bluejay hardcover (August 1984) is the true first. Realtime/Bobble vol. 1; 1985 Hugo nominee.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1986 Bluejay book-club edition reuses the Tom Kidd art but lacks the stated 'First Bluejay printing' line, is a cheaper build, and carries a blind-stamped dot to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Peace War* by Vernor Vinge a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-peace-war
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.