# Is "Unquenchable Fire" by Rachel Pollack a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Unquenchable Fire by Rachel Pollack (Century, 1988) is identified by: UK Century hardcover, London, 1988 (390 pp.; ISBN 0-7126-1950-7), first printing, in dust jacket with cover art by Philippa Bramson. The UK Century 1988 hardcover is the true first; the US Overlook Press hardcover did not appear until 1992.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Century hardcover, London, 1988 (390 pp.; ISBN 0-7126-1950-7), first printing, in dust jacket with cover art by Philippa Bramson
- The jacket should retain its printed cover price on the flap
- This UK hardcover preceded any US edition, and the novel won the Arthur C. Clarke Award before any US hardcover existed
- Publisher imprint reads Century
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Rachel Pollack |
| Publisher | Century |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Century hardcover, London, 1988 (390 pp.; ISBN 0-7126-1950-7), first printing, in dust jacket with cover art by Philippa Bramson |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Century hardcover, London, 1988 (390 pp.; ISBN 0-7126-1950-7), first printing, in dust jacket with cover art by Philippa Bramson. The jacket should retain its printed cover price on the flap. This UK hardcover preceded any US edition, and the novel won the Arthur C. Clarke Award before any US hardcover existed.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Century 1988 hardcover is the true first; the US Overlook Press hardcover did not appear until 1992. Won the 1989 Arthur C. Clarke Award.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1992 US Overlook Press edition is the first US, not the true first; later SF Masterworks and other reissues carry their own later imprints and are reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Unquenchable Fire* by Rachel Pollack a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/unquenchable-fire
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.