# Is "The State of the Art" by Iain M. Banks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The State of the Art by Iain M. Banks (Mark V. Ziesing, 1989) is identified by: Standalone novella, not the later expanded collection. The Ziesing US hardcover (1989) is the true first book appearance of the novella.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Standalone novella, not the later expanded collection
- The Mark V. Ziesing (Shingletown, CA) 1989 hardcover was issued in two states: a trade edition and a slipcased limited edition of 400 numbered copies signed by the author and by jacket artist Arnie Fenner
- The limited edition is bound in publisher's purple cloth with silver titling to the upper board and spine, wears the Arnie Fenner illustrated dust jacket, and is housed in a matching purple cloth slipcase; the numbering and both signatures appear on the limitation leaf
- The trade issue carries the same Fenner jacket without the slipcase or limitation
- Publisher imprint reads Mark V. Ziesing
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Iain M. Banks |
| Publisher | Mark V. Ziesing |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Standalone novella, not the later expanded collection |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Standalone novella, not the later expanded collection. The Mark V. Ziesing (Shingletown, CA) 1989 hardcover was issued in two states: a trade edition and a slipcased limited edition of 400 numbered copies signed by the author and by jacket artist Arnie Fenner. The limited edition is bound in publisher's purple cloth with silver titling to the upper board and spine, wears the Arnie Fenner illustrated dust jacket, and is housed in a matching purple cloth slipcase; the numbering and both signatures appear on the limitation leaf. The trade issue carries the same Fenner jacket without the slipcase or limitation.

## Is this the true first?
The Ziesing US hardcover (1989) is the true first book appearance of the novella. The Orbit UK paperback of the same title (1991) is a different, expanded book: a story collection adding several short stories, and is the first UK edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None for the Ziesing edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The State of the Art* by Iain M. Banks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-state-of-the-art
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.