The points of issue
Discworld 26. UK Doubleday, published May 2001; original boards in dust jacket; copyright page states first publication in Great Britain 2001 by Doubleday with a complete number line ending in 1.
Is this the true first?
Publication was near-simultaneous: per the Colin Smythe chronology the US HarperCollins edition appeared 1 May 2001, two days before the UK Doubleday of 3 May 2001. The UK Doubleday is customarily collected as the first in the author's home market, but the US edition technically preceded it.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings lack the complete number line; the US edition and book club issues differ.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Thief of Time a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Discworld 26. UK Doubleday, published May 2001; original boards in dust jacket; copyright page states first publication in Great Britain 2001 by Doubleday with a complete number line ending in 1.
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. Publication was near-simultaneous: per the Colin Smythe chronology the US HarperCollins edition appeared 1 May 2001, two days before the UK Doubleday of 3 May 2001. The UK Doubleday is customarily collected as the first in the author's home market, but the US edition technically preceded it.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings lack the complete number line; the US edition and book club issues differ.
I have a first edition of Thief of Time — 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.