# Is "The Zenith Angle" by Bruce Sterling a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Zenith Angle by Bruce Sterling (Del Rey/Ballantine, 2004) is identified by: Del Rey (Ballantine) hardcover, ISBN 0-345-46061-8 (9780345460615), published April 2004; the copyright page carries the Del Rey-style 'First Edition' statement together with a number line descending to 1. The US Del Rey/Ballantine hardcover is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Del Rey (Ballantine) hardcover, ISBN 0-345-46061-8
- , published April 2004; the copyright page carries the Del Rey-style 'First Edition' statement together with a number line descending to 1
- Issued in a printed, unclipped first-state dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Del Rey/Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Bruce Sterling |
| Publisher | Del Rey/Ballantine |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Del Rey (Ballantine) hardcover, ISBN 0-345-46061-8 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Del Rey (Ballantine) hardcover, ISBN 0-345-46061-8 (9780345460615), published April 2004; the copyright page carries the Del Rey-style 'First Edition' statement together with a number line descending to 1. Issued in a printed, unclipped first-state dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The US Del Rey/Ballantine hardcover is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The later Del Rey trade paperback (ISBN 0-345-46865-1 / 9780345468659) is a separate, subsequent issue, not the first; first-edition points do not apply to it.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Zenith Angle* by Bruce Sterling a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-zenith-angle
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.