# Is "Walking on Glass" by Iain Banks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Walking on Glass by Iain Banks (Macmillan, 1985) is identified by: Macmillan London hardcover, 1985 (ISBN 0333379861), the author's second book. The UK Macmillan hardcover (1985) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Macmillan London hardcover, 1985 (ISBN 0333379861), the author's second book
- The copyright page states 'First published 1985 by Macmillan London Limited' with no further printings listed
- Bound in black cloth with gilt lettering on the spine, and issued in the pictorial photographic dust jacket, the jacket photograph credited to Marcus Wilson-Smith
- First-issue jacket bears its original printed price and should be unclipped on a true first-state example
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Iain Banks |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Macmillan London hardcover, 1985 (ISBN 0333379861), the author's second book |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Macmillan London hardcover, 1985 (ISBN 0333379861), the author's second book. The copyright page states 'First published 1985 by Macmillan London Limited' with no further printings listed. Bound in black cloth with gilt lettering on the spine, and issued in the pictorial photographic dust jacket, the jacket photograph credited to Marcus Wilson-Smith. First-issue jacket bears its original printed price and should be unclipped on a true first-state example.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Macmillan hardcover (1985) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable; confirm the 'First published 1985' statement with no additional printing line and the gilt-lettered black cloth binding.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Walking on Glass* by Iain Banks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/walking-on-glass
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.