# Is "A Planet Called Treason" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Planet Called Treason by Orson Scott Card (St. Martin's Press, 1979) is identified by: Martin's Press (New York) hardcover, 1979, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page. US St.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Martin's Press (New York) hardcover, 1979, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page
- Bound in black cloth-backed boards with the spine in blue and lettering stamped in gold
- Issued in a priced dust jacket; the first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Card's first novel, published before the fame of Ender's Game
- The book was heavily revised and reissued by St
- Martin's in 1988 as 'Treason', a distinct first-thus with a different text and its own ISBN
- Publisher imprint reads St. Martin's Press

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | St. Martin's Press |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Martin's Press (New York) hardcover, 1979, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
St. Martin's Press (New York) hardcover, 1979, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page. Bound in black cloth-backed boards with the spine in blue and lettering stamped in gold. Issued in a priced dust jacket; the first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap. Card's first novel, published before the fame of Ender's Game. The book was heavily revised and reissued by St. Martin's in 1988 as 'Treason', a distinct first-thus with a different text and its own ISBN.

## Is this the true first?
US St. Martin's hardcover (1979) is the true first; the 1988 'Treason' is a revised text and a distinct first-thus, not to be confused with this first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Dell mass-market paperback followed in 1980; a UK Pan paperback followed later. No priority-relevant hardcover book-club edition of the 1979 first is a common concern.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Planet Called Treason* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-planet-called-treason
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.