# Is "The Troika" by Stepan Chapman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Troika by Stepan Chapman (Ministry of Whimsy Press, 1997) is identified by: US Ministry of Whimsy Press trade paperback original, 1997 (ISBN 1-890464-02-3 / 978-1-890464-02-8); a small-press first edition distributed through small-press channels. The US Ministry of Whimsy 1997 trade paperback original is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Ministry of Whimsy Press trade paperback original, 1997 (ISBN 1-890464-02-3 / 978-1-890464-02-8); a small-press first edition distributed through small-press channels
- Chapman's debut novel
- Copies of the first printing are often found with the Philip K. Dick Award sticker on the front cover
- Publisher imprint reads Ministry of Whimsy Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stepan Chapman |
| Publisher | Ministry of Whimsy Press |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Ministry of Whimsy Press trade paperback original, 1997 (ISBN 1-890464-02-3 / 978-1-890464-02-8); a small-press first edition… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US Ministry of Whimsy Press trade paperback original, 1997 (ISBN 1-890464-02-3 / 978-1-890464-02-8); a small-press first edition distributed through small-press channels. Chapman's debut novel. Copies of the first printing are often found with the Philip K. Dick Award sticker on the front cover.

## Is this the true first?
The US Ministry of Whimsy 1997 trade paperback original is the true first. Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award for 1997 (presented 1998) and the first small-press title to take that award. A scarce small-press item.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; later reissues (including Jeff VanderMeer's Cheeky Frawg ebook) are reprints, not true firsts.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Troika* by Stepan Chapman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-troika
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.