# Is "The Uplift War" by David Brin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Uplift War by David Brin (Phantasia Press, West Bloomfield, MI, 1987) is identified by: First edition is the Phantasia Press hardcover, issued in two states: a signed/numbered limited edition of 475 copies (limitation leaf stating the copies were numbered and signed by the author, in a specially bound and boxed/slipcased edition) and a trade hardcover. The Phantasia Press hardcover is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition is the Phantasia Press hardcover, issued in two states: a signed/numbered limited edition of 475 copies (limitation leaf stating the copies were numbered and signed by the author, in a specially bound and boxed/slipcased edition) and a trade hardcover
- Won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Novel
- The Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback is a later issue
- Publisher imprint reads Phantasia Press, West Bloomfield, MI
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | David Brin |
| Publisher | Phantasia Press, West Bloomfield, MI |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition is the Phantasia Press hardcover, issued in two states: a signed/numbered limited edition of 475 copies (limitation leaf… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition is the Phantasia Press hardcover, issued in two states: a signed/numbered limited edition of 475 copies (limitation leaf stating the copies were numbered and signed by the author, in a specially bound and boxed/slipcased edition) and a trade hardcover. Won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Novel. The Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback is a later issue.

## Is this the true first?
The Phantasia Press hardcover is the true first. The signed/numbered limited state (475 copies, boxed) carries priority cachet over the trade hardcover; the Bantam Spectra paperback is the later mass-market issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club edition is later, carries a gutter blindstamp on the rear board and an unpriced 'Book Club Edition' jacket, and lacks the Phantasia limitation leaf and imprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Uplift War* by David Brin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-uplift-war
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.