# Is "Transition" by Iain Banks (US: Iain M. Banks) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Transition by Iain Banks (US: Iain M. Banks) (Little, Brown, 2009) is identified by: Little, Brown UK hardcover credited to Iain Banks; copyright page states First published in Great Britain in 2009 with a full number line; priced, unclipped jacket. UK Little, Brown hardcover (September 2009) is the true first; the byline differs between the UK (Iain Banks) and US (Iain M.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Little, Brown UK hardcover credited to Iain Banks; copyright page states First published in Great Britain in 2009 with a full number line; priced, unclipped jacket
- The US Orbit edition is credited to Iain M. Banks and states First U.S. Edition: September 2009
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Iain Banks (US: Iain M. Banks) |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Little, Brown UK hardcover credited to Iain Banks; copyright page states First published in Great Britain in 2009 with a full number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Little, Brown UK hardcover credited to Iain Banks; copyright page states First published in Great Britain in 2009 with a full number line; priced, unclipped jacket. The US Orbit edition is credited to Iain M. Banks and states First U.S. Edition: September 2009.

## Is this the true first?
UK Little, Brown hardcover (September 2009) is the true first; the byline differs between the UK (Iain Banks) and US (Iain M. Banks) editions.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Transition* by Iain Banks (US: Iain M. Banks) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/transition
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.