# Is "Gain" by Richard Powers a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Gain by Richard Powers (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998) is identified by: US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition, 1998, octavo of 355 pages. US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition, 1998, octavo of 355 pages
- The copyright page carries the FSG first-edition statement together with a number line that includes the numeral '1'
- First-printing issue price present on an unclipped front jacket flap
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Powers |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition, 1998, octavo of 355 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition, 1998, octavo of 355 pages. The copyright page carries the FSG first-edition statement together with a number line that includes the numeral '1'. First-printing issue price present on an unclipped front jacket flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Gain* by Richard Powers a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/gain
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.