Two Thrones, One Year: The U.S. vs U.K. First Editions of A Game of Thrones
When George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones hit the world in 1996 it did so with an unusual collecting twist: two different hardcover first editions—one published in the United States by Bantam and one published in the United Kingdom by Voyager (HarperCollins). Bibliographers, dealers and even Martin himself have weighed in on which should be called the “true” first. Below I’ll unpack the publishing facts, how to tell them apart, what makes each desirable, and what the market looks like today.
Quick snapshot:
Both hardcovers were published in 1996. The UK Voyager edition has an official publication date recorded as August of 1996; bibliographic and dealer records also place the Bantam (U.S.) release in August of 1996 (often cited copies were in hands earlier) — so the timeline is muddied by early advance distribution.
Author’s verdict: George R. R. Martin himself has said he regards the Bantam 1996 edition as the “true first” because Bantam printed and distributed copies (notably at the 1996 ABA show) before the Bantam official publication date, even though the British edition sometimes carries an earlier official pub date.
Bantam (U.S.) — the author-backed “true first”
Publisher / year: Bantam Books / Bantam Spectra — August 6, 1996.
What it looks like: Early Bantam trade hardcovers are known for a black blind-stamped George R.R. Martin signature to the front - as well as the iconic silver-foil treatment to the dust jacket, both iconic for the first Bantam hardback. Look for black boards/cloth and the signature imprint - this is not available on the book club editions.
Important publishing lore: Bantam printed and had copies available at the American Booksellers Association (ABA) convention in 1996; George R. R. Martin has explicitly called the Bantam edition the “true first” because of that early distribution. That ABA giveaway is a central piece of the “which came first” story. Bantam’s ABA giveaway (the Iron Throne moment): Bantam built an iron-throne display for the 1996 American Booksellers Association (ABA) show and distributed hundreds of Bantam hardcover copies there — this early distribution is the keystone of why Martin and many collectors consider Bantam the “true” first, even if the HarperCollins edition is sometimes dated earlier on paper. Martin’s site and blog recount the ABA distribution and the throne display as a pivotal part of the book’s launch lore.
How to identify a first printing: check the copyright page number line — examples of true firsts show a complete number-line including “10-1” (publishers’ numbering varies, but a 1 in the line is a common indicator of first printing). It’s worth noting that the book and jacket were printed with premium, select touches (blind stamp, sturdy binding & paper stock, foil dust jacket) which were more cost prohibitive to produce than the U.K. First.
Print run / scarcity: Bantam’s initial trade printing was larger than the UK Voyager initial run and so unsigned, unmarked Bantam firsts are relatively more common than UK Voyager firsts — but still collectible. (Exact Bantam initial print-run totals are not publicly published in full detail by the publisher; dealers and bibliographic records show many trade copies circulating. The estimated print run is somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 copies.)
Typical market value (examples & guidance): George R.R. Martin’s own FAQ and dealer listings have historically placed unsigned Bantam firsts in a roughly $300–$750 range depending on condition, while signed Bantam firsts, ARCs or presentation copies can fetch significantly more (dealer listings for signed or exceptional copies range into the thousands).
The “Jon Snow” variant
Not to be confused with the true first, Bantam also released what is now referred to as the “Jon Snow” variant which was released in 2002. This edition is referred to as a “First Edition Thus” as - it is a later released edition, not the true first.
Voyager / HarperCollins (U.K.) — the rarer British first
Publisher / year: HarperCollins / Voyager — 1996.
What it looks like: The Voyager jackets (UK firsts) are the striking, colorful illustrated dust-jacket art (cover art credited to Jim Burns on many early UK copies). The binding is publisher red cloth-effect boards with gilt lettering.
Publishing timeline & lore: Bibliographers and dealers have long noted that the UK first edition sometimes carries an earlier official publication date than the Bantam listing, which is part of why bibliographic records and some dealers list the HarperCollins Voyager as the British first. However, Martin explains that although the British edition has an earlier official pub date on paper, Bantam had copies in the wild (ABA distribution) before the Bantam official release, which complicates the “first” designation. The number-line runs from “1-9” on the publishers page. It’s worth noting here as well, that the materials used to produce this edition were of a cheaper paper stock, binding and jacket making it is a lesser quality than to that of the U.S. first.
Print run / scarcity: The Voyager first-printing is widely considered scarcer than the Bantam trade first, and dealer catalogues/collectors often emphasize its relative rarity. While exact Voyager first-print run numbers are not uniformly published, many specialist dealers and catalog entries treat the UK first as more scarce and desirable because of smaller early printings. The print run estimation is somewhere between 1,500 and 3,000 copies.
Typical market value (examples & guidance): Clean unsigned UK firsts often command much higher prices than typical unsigned Bantams, and signed UK firsts / preview editions are premium items. The range for unsigned Voyager firsts land between $1,000-$2,000. Dealer examples show signed/preview UK firsts priced in the low-to-mid thousands on specialty-seller websites; unsigned true-first copies vary widely with condition.
Advance reading copies (ARCs) & preview editions — the real unicorns: Bantam advance reading copies / uncorrected proofs and HarperCollins “preview” collector editions exist and are far scarcer than the trade hardcovers. These are distinct items (paperwraps, proof text differences, sometimes fewer pages, no full cloth binding) and are highly collectible — signed ARCs regularly appear at dealer prices in the multiple-thousand dollar range. Example dealer listings show signed ARCs priced multiple thousands; unsigned ARCs also command high collector interest.
A Game of Thrones (1996) didn’t immediately sweep the major fantasy awards the way later volumes in the series did, but it did receive some recognition:
1997 Locus Award – A Game of Thrones was a finalist for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (it placed, but did not win; the winner that year was Blood of the Fae by Tanya Huff).
1997 World Fantasy Award – The novel was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. It didn’t win (James Morrow’s The Bible of Hell took the prize that year).
Other recognition: While the first book didn’t capture the Hugo or Nebula (those often skew more toward science fiction), Martin did later win major awards for the series as a whole (A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords also pulled in Locus nominations, and the TV adaptation swept Emmys).
