# Is "Death's End" by Cixin Liu a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Death's End by Cixin Liu (Tor Books, New York, 2016) is identified by: First English-language edition, translated by Ken Liu, states 'First Edition: September 2016' with a full number line ending in 1. The Tor US hardcover is the true first in English; priority for English-language collecting goes to Tor.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First English-language edition, translated by Ken Liu, states 'First Edition: September 2016' with a full number line ending in 1
- Cloth boards with the spine stamped in blue foil, in dust jacket with the printed price on the front flap
- Concludes the trilogy
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Cixin Liu |
| Publisher | Tor Books, New York |
| Year | 2016 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First English-language edition, translated by Ken Liu, states 'First Edition: September 2016' with a full number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First English-language edition, translated by Ken Liu, states 'First Edition: September 2016' with a full number line ending in 1. Cloth boards with the spine stamped in blue foil, in dust jacket with the printed price on the front flap. Concludes the trilogy.

## Is this the true first?
The Tor US hardcover is the true first in English; priority for English-language collecting goes to Tor. The UK Head of Zeus edition is a separate, later setting.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the dated first-edition line and the number line no longer ends in 1; confirm the complete '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' line is present.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Death's End* by Cixin Liu a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/deaths-end
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.