# Is "The Safety of Objects" by A.M. Homes a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Safety of Objects by A.M. Homes (W.W. Norton & Company, 1990) is identified by: Norton hardcover with stated first edition and a number line ending in 1; Norton imprint on the copyright page. The US W.W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Norton hardcover with stated first edition and a number line ending in 1
- Norton imprint on the copyright page
- ISBN 0-393-02884-4
- Homes's first story collection (ten stories)
- Confirm an unclipped jacket
- Publisher imprint reads W.W. Norton & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | A.M. Homes |
| Publisher | W.W. Norton & Company |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Norton hardcover with stated first edition and a number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Norton hardcover with stated first edition and a number line ending in 1; Norton imprint on the copyright page. ISBN 0-393-02884-4. Homes's first story collection (ten stories). Confirm an unclipped jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The US W.W. Norton hardcover of 1990 is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Vintage paperback is a first-thus reprint, not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Safety of Objects* by A.M. Homes a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-safety-of-objects
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.