# Is "True Names" by Vernor Vinge a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of True Names by Vernor Vinge (Dell, 1981) is identified by: First appeared in Dell's Binary Star No. True first appearance is the Dell Binary Star No.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First appeared in Dell's Binary Star No
- 5 (February 1981), a mass-market paperback double pairing it with George R. R. Martin's 'Nightflyers'; interior illustrations by Jack Gaughan; final volume of the Binary Star series
- The 1984 Bluejay 'True Names... and Other Dangers' is a later collection
- Publisher imprint reads Dell
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Vernor Vinge |
| Publisher | Dell |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First appeared in Dell's Binary Star No |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First appeared in Dell's Binary Star No. 5 (February 1981), a mass-market paperback double pairing it with George R. R. Martin's 'Nightflyers'; interior illustrations by Jack Gaughan; final volume of the Binary Star series. The 1984 Bluejay 'True Names... and Other Dangers' is a later collection.

## Is this the true first?
True first appearance is the Dell Binary Star No. 5 paperback (February 1981); the seminal proto-cyberpunk novella.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *True Names* by Vernor Vinge a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/true-names
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.