# Is "The Terminal Experiment" by Robert J. Sawyer a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Terminal Experiment by Robert J. Sawyer (HarperPrism, 1995) is identified by: First book publication was the HarperPrism mass-market paperback original (May 1995), in wraps, with a number line; original printed cover price. The true first book edition is the HarperPrism paperback original of 1995.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First book publication was the HarperPrism mass-market paperback original (May 1995), in wraps, with a number line; original printed cover price
- (Serialized in Analog as 'Hobson's Choice', December 1994 through March 1995.)
- Publisher imprint reads HarperPrism
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert J. Sawyer |
| Publisher | HarperPrism |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First book publication was the HarperPrism mass-market paperback original (May 1995), in wraps, with a number line; original printed cover… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First book publication was the HarperPrism mass-market paperback original (May 1995), in wraps, with a number line; original printed cover price. (Serialized in Analog as 'Hobson's Choice', December 1994 through March 1995.)

## Is this the true first?
The true first book edition is the HarperPrism paperback original of 1995. There was no simultaneous US hardcover first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No paperback book club edition; later printings advance the number line and cover price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Terminal Experiment* by Robert J. Sawyer a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-terminal-experiment
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.