# Is "The Rise of Endymion" by Dan Simmons a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons (Bantam Spectra, 1997) is identified by: Bantam Spectra US first edition (ISBN 0-553-10652-X), identified by a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. The US Bantam Spectra hardcover is the true first, released in 1997; the Headline edition of the same year is the first British edition and follows the American issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam Spectra US first edition (ISBN 0-553-10652-X), identified by a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page
- The volume is quarter-bound, with cloth-covered boards over a partial-paper case: blue boards and a grey spine stamped in copper foil
- First-state pictorial dust jacket carries cover art by Gary Ruddell and the printed jacket price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped on a first issue
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Spectra
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dan Simmons |
| Publisher | Bantam Spectra |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam Spectra US first edition (ISBN 0-553-10652-X), identified by a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bantam Spectra US first edition (ISBN 0-553-10652-X), identified by a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. The volume is quarter-bound, with cloth-covered boards over a partial-paper case: blue boards and a grey spine stamped in copper foil. First-state pictorial dust jacket carries cover art by Gary Ruddell and the printed jacket price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped on a first issue.

## Is this the true first?
The US Bantam Spectra hardcover is the true first, released in 1997; the Headline edition of the same year is the first British edition and follows the American issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the descending number line and carry no printed jacket price on the flap; they are also typically thinner-feeling with a blind-stamped or gutter-code impression to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Rise of Endymion* by Dan Simmons a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-rise-of-endymion
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.