# Is "Prisoner's Dilemma" by Richard Powers a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Prisoner's Dilemma by Richard Powers (Beech Tree Books / William Morrow, 1988) is identified by: First edition, first printing under the Beech Tree Books imprint of William Morrow (New York, 1988), the author's second novel. The US Beech Tree Books / William Morrow edition (1988) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing under the Beech Tree Books imprint of William Morrow (New York, 1988), the author's second novel
- Bound in quarter blue cloth over grey paper boards with silver lettering to the spine, with purple endpapers and pastedowns; the jacket was designed by Cheryl Asherman and should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Because Morrow/Beech Tree frequently left the 'First Edition' statement standing on later printings, the number line must be verified complete (descending to 1) to confirm the first printing; the statement alone is not sufficient
- Publisher imprint reads Beech Tree Books / William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Powers |
| Publisher | Beech Tree Books / William Morrow |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing under the Beech Tree Books imprint of William Morrow (New York, 1988), the author's second novel |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing under the Beech Tree Books imprint of William Morrow (New York, 1988), the author's second novel. Bound in quarter blue cloth over grey paper boards with silver lettering to the spine, with purple endpapers and pastedowns; the jacket was designed by Cheryl Asherman and should retain its printed price on the front flap. Because Morrow/Beech Tree frequently left the 'First Edition' statement standing on later printings, the number line must be verified complete (descending to 1) to confirm the first printing; the statement alone is not sufficient.

## Is this the true first?
The US Beech Tree Books / William Morrow edition (1988) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition. Note that a retained 'First Edition' line with an incomplete number row indicates a later Morrow/Beech Tree printing, not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Prisoner's Dilemma* by Richard Powers a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/prisoners-dilemma
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.