The points of issue
US Avon mass-market paperback original, first printing April 1988; pictorial wrappers; first printing identified by a complete Avon number line ending in 1. No prior hardcover edition was issued, so this paperback original is the true first.
Is this the true first?
The US Avon paperback original of 1988 is the true first edition; the book was published directly into paperback with no preceding hardcover. It was co-winner (a tie) of the 1989 Philip K. Dick Award, given for the best original science-fiction paperback of 1988. Wetware is the second book in the Ware sequence, following Software.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later collected editions, including the Ware Tetralogy omnibus and subsequent reissues, are reprints or first-thus printings, not the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Wetware a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US Avon mass-market paperback original, first printing April 1988; pictorial wrappers; first printing identified by a complete Avon number line ending in 1. No prior hardcover edition was issued, so this paperback original is the true first.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Avon paperback original of 1988 is the true first edition; the book was published directly into paperback with no preceding hardcover. It was co-winner (a tie) of the 1989 Philip K. Dick Award, given for the best original science-fiction paperback of 1988. Wetware is the second book in the Wa
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later collected editions, including the Ware Tetralogy omnibus and subsequent reissues, are reprints or first-thus printings, not the true first.
I have a first edition of Wetware — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.