# Is "The Speed of Dark" by Elizabeth Moon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon (Ballantine Books, 2003) is identified by: Ballantine Books hardcover, first printing. The US Ballantine first edition was published January 2003, not 2002; the corrected year is 2003.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ballantine Books hardcover, first printing
- Copyright page reads 'First Edition: January 2003' followed by the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
- Priced dust jacket; publisher's boards
- ISBN 0-345-44755-7
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Elizabeth Moon |
| Publisher | Ballantine Books |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ballantine Books hardcover, first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Ballantine Books hardcover, first printing. Copyright page reads 'First Edition: January 2003' followed by the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. Priced dust jacket; publisher's boards. ISBN 0-345-44755-7.

## Is this the true first?
The US Ballantine first edition was published January 2003, not 2002; the corrected year is 2003. This US hardcover is the true first. A UK Orbit edition followed and does not precede it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club edition is distinguishable by an unpriced jacket, a blind-stamp gutter dot on the rear board, and the absence of the full Ballantine number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Speed of Dark* by Elizabeth Moon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-speed-of-dark
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.