# Is "Through the Heart" by Richard Grant a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Through the Heart by Richard Grant (Bantam Spectra, 1992) is identified by: US Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original; the first printing is dated January 1992 although the book carries a 1991 copyright; first printing identified by a complete number line ending in 1. The US Bantam Spectra paperback original is the true first edition, published directly into paperback.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original; the first printing is dated January 1992 although the book carries a 1991 copyright; first printing identified by a complete number line ending in 1
- Cover art by Wil Cormier
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Spectra
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Grant |
| Publisher | Bantam Spectra |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original; the first printing is dated January 1992 although the book carries a 1991 copyright… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US Bantam Spectra mass-market paperback original; the first printing is dated January 1992 although the book carries a 1991 copyright; first printing identified by a complete number line ending in 1. Cover art by Wil Cormier.

## Is this the true first?
The US Bantam Spectra paperback original is the true first edition, published directly into paperback. Sources differ on the year because the book carries a 1991 copyright but the first printing is dated January 1992; the published first edition is the January 1992 Bantam Spectra paperback. It won the 1993 Philip K. Dick Award, given for works published in 1992, which is consistent with a 1992 publication date.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reissues are reprints, not the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Through the Heart* by Richard Grant a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/through-the-heart
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.