Skip to main content

First-Edition Identification · Kim Stanley Robinson

Is My The Years of Rice and Salt a First Edition?

Bantam Books, New York, 2002

The points of issue

First US edition (Bantam Books, March 2002; ISBN 0553109200). The true first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, typically prefixed 'BVG') together with the 'A Bantam Book / March 2002' line on the copyright page. The jacket carries the printed price. The number line to 1 is the point of issue — there is no printed 'First Edition' statement.

Decode the printer’s key: paste the number line into the decoder · Bantam Books, New York first-edition guide.

Is this the true first?

The US Bantam and UK HarperCollins editions are near-simultaneous (both 2002); for the US trade first, rely on the number line complete to 1 and the 'March 2002' date line.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

The Science Fiction Book Club edition is smaller in trim, unpriced ('Book Club Edition'), carries a rear-board gutter dot, and omits the full number line.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Years of Rice and Salt a first edition?

Look for these first-edition points: First US edition (Bantam Books, March 2002; ISBN 0553109200). The true first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, typically prefixed 'BVG') together with the 'A Bantam Book / March 2002' line on the copyright page. The jacket carries the printed price. The number line to 1 is the point of issue — there is no printed 'First Edition' statement.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Bantam and UK HarperCollins editions are near-simultaneous (both 2002); for the US trade first, rely on the number line complete to 1 and the 'March 2002' date line.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

The Science Fiction Book Club edition is smaller in trim, unpriced ('Book Club Edition'), carries a rear-board gutter dot, and omits the full number line.

I have a first edition of The Years of Rice and Salt — what should I do?

If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.

Keep identifying