# Is "Earthborn" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Earthborn by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 1995) is identified by: Tor hardcover, New York, 1995, in quarter-cloth binding with the priced dust jacket (printed price present on the front flap). The US Tor hardcover (May 1995) is the true first; the copyright page's own wording is 'First trade edition,' with the '1' in the number line confirming the first printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Tor hardcover, New York, 1995, in quarter-cloth binding with the priced dust jacket (printed price present on the front flap)
- The copyright page states 'First trade edition: May 1995' (not 'First Edition') and carries a full number line descending to 1; concluding fifth volume of the Homecoming Saga
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Tor hardcover, New York, 1995, in quarter-cloth binding with the priced dust jacket (printed price present on the front flap) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Tor hardcover, New York, 1995, in quarter-cloth binding with the priced dust jacket (printed price present on the front flap). The copyright page states 'First trade edition: May 1995' (not 'First Edition') and carries a full number line descending to 1; concluding fifth volume of the Homecoming Saga.

## Is this the true first?
The US Tor hardcover (May 1995) is the true first; the copyright page's own wording is 'First trade edition,' with the '1' in the number line confirming the first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club text also appeared in the GuildAmerica/SFBC omnibus Homecoming: Earth, which combines Earthfall and Earthborn; that omnibus is a separate club printing distinct from the Tor first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Earthborn* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/earthborn
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.