# Is "The Prefect (later 'Aurora Rising')" by Alastair Reynolds a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Prefect (later 'Aurora Rising') by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz, 2007) is identified by: Gollancz UK hardcover (2007), copyright page stating first publication in Great Britain in 2007 by Gollancz with a complete number line including 1; priced dust jacket. UK Gollancz hardcover (2007) is the true first; the novel was later retitled Aurora Rising for reissue, so copies under that title are not firsts.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- , copyright page stating first publication in Great Britain in 2007 by Gollancz with a complete number line including 1; priced dust jacket
- Issued alongside a simultaneous trade paperback; the hardcover is the collectible first
- First editions carry the original title The Prefect
- Publisher imprint reads Gollancz
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Alastair Reynolds |
| Publisher | Gollancz |
| Year | 2007 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | , copyright page stating first publication in Great Britain in 2007 by Gollancz with a complete number line including 1; priced dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Gollancz UK hardcover (2007), copyright page stating first publication in Great Britain in 2007 by Gollancz with a complete number line including 1; priced dust jacket. Issued alongside a simultaneous trade paperback; the hardcover is the collectible first. First editions carry the original title The Prefect.

## Is this the true first?
UK Gollancz hardcover (2007) is the true first; the novel was later retitled Aurora Rising for reissue, so copies under that title are not firsts.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Prefect (later 'Aurora Rising')* by Alastair Reynolds a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-prefect-later-aurora-rising
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.