# Is "Threats and Other Promises" by Vernor Vinge a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Threats and Other Promises by Vernor Vinge (Baen Books, 1988) is identified by: Baen Books mass-market paperback original, first printing stated on the copyright page as "First printing, November 1988" (ISBN 0-671-69790-0). The US Baen paperback original, first printing (November 1988), is the true first edition of this collection; there was no hardcover issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Baen Books mass-market paperback original, first printing stated on the copyright page as "First printing, November 1988" (ISBN 0-671-69790-0)
- As a paperback original there is no simultaneous or preceding hardcover; the wraps carry the printed cover price
- Publisher imprint reads Baen Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Vernor Vinge |
| Publisher | Baen Books |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Baen Books mass-market paperback original, first printing stated on the copyright page as "First printing, November 1988" (ISBN… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Story collection. Baen Books mass-market paperback original, first printing stated on the copyright page as "First printing, November 1988" (ISBN 0-671-69790-0). As a paperback original there is no simultaneous or preceding hardcover; the wraps carry the printed cover price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Baen paperback original, first printing (November 1988), is the true first edition of this collection; there was no hardcover issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None; a paperback original with no book-club edition. Later printings alter the stated "First printing, November 1988" line on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Threats and Other Promises* by Vernor Vinge a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/threats-and-other-promises
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.