# Is "The Wild Shore" by Kim Stanley Robinson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Wild Shore by Kim Stanley Robinson (Ace Books, New York, 1984) is identified by: First edition is the Ace Science Fiction Specials paperback original (1984), Robinson's first novel and the first title in the revived Ace Specials line edited by Terry Carr. The true first is the Ace Special paperback original (1984).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition is the Ace Science Fiction Specials paperback original
- , Robinson's first novel and the first title in the revived Ace Specials line edited by Terry Carr
- Identified by the first-printing copyright statement and number line complete to 1, in pictorial wrappers; there was no prior hardcover
- Won the 1985 Locus Award for Best First Novel
- Publisher imprint reads Ace Books, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kim Stanley Robinson |
| Publisher | Ace Books, New York |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition is the Ace Science Fiction Specials paperback original |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition is the Ace Science Fiction Specials paperback original (1984), Robinson's first novel and the first title in the revived Ace Specials line edited by Terry Carr. Identified by the first-printing copyright statement and number line complete to 1, in pictorial wrappers; there was no prior hardcover. Won the 1985 Locus Award for Best First Novel.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the Ace Special paperback original (1984). A Tor hardcover appeared later (1990); the paperback original has priority. Signed copies of the Ace PBO are the collectible first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book club title in its first form. Distinguish the 1984 Ace Special paperback original from later Ace reprintings whose number lines no longer reach 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Wild Shore* by Kim Stanley Robinson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-wild-shore
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.