# Is "The Wasp Factory" by Iain Banks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks (Macmillan, 1984) is identified by: UK Macmillan London first hardcover, published 16 February 1984, with 'First published 1984' on the copyright page and no later-printing statement; jacket priced. The UK Macmillan 1984 hardcover is the true first edition — Banks's controversial debut.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Macmillan London first hardcover, published 16 February 1984, with 'First published 1984' on the copyright page and no later-printing statement; jacket priced
- Bound in brown boards with gilt spine lettering
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Iain Banks |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Macmillan London first hardcover, published 16 February 1984, with 'First published 1984' on the copyright page and no later-printing… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
UK Macmillan London first hardcover, published 16 February 1984, with 'First published 1984' on the copyright page and no later-printing statement; jacket priced. Bound in brown boards with gilt spine lettering.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Macmillan 1984 hardcover is the true first edition — Banks's controversial debut. The US Houghton Mifflin edition (1984) is the first American edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is the principal concern; later printings add a reprint statement to the copyright page. Confirm the Macmillan imprint and the clean 'First published 1984' line. The initial run was about 10,000 copies and reprinted quickly.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Wasp Factory* by Iain Banks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-wasp-factory
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.