# Is "The Player of Games" by Iain M. Banks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks (Macmillan, London, 1988) is identified by: First UK Macmillan hardcover, 1988; pictorial dust jacket with the price on the flap; no later-printing statement. The UK Macmillan hardcover (1988) is the true first, preceding the US St.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK Macmillan hardcover, 1988; pictorial dust jacket with the price on the flap; no later-printing statement
- Second Culture novel
- A signed/numbered limited issue also exists and is distinct from the trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan, London
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Iain M. Banks |
| Publisher | Macmillan, London |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK Macmillan hardcover, 1988; pictorial dust jacket with the price on the flap; no later-printing statement |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First UK Macmillan hardcover, 1988; pictorial dust jacket with the price on the flap; no later-printing statement. Second Culture novel. A signed/numbered limited issue also exists and is distinct from the trade first.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Macmillan hardcover (1988) is the true first, preceding the US St. Martin's Press edition (January 1989) and all paperbacks. Priority to London.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US St. Martin's and any club issues are later. Confirm the Macmillan imprint, the 1988 date, and the absence of a later-printing notice. Uncorrected proof copies exist and are not the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Player of Games* by Iain M. Banks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-player-of-games
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.