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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Empire by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 2006) is identified by: First edition, first printing, Tor Books (Tom Doherty Associates), New York, first published November 28, 2006. The US Tor trade hardcover (2006) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, Tor Books (Tom Doherty Associates), New York, first published November 28, 2006
- The copyright page states 'First Edition' followed by month and year and carries the full Tor number line ending in 1 (the 'First Edition' statement plus the complete line are both required)
- Trade issue in a printed, priced dust jacket over cloth boards
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 2006 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, Tor Books (Tom Doherty Associates), New York, first published November 28, 2006 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, Tor Books (Tom Doherty Associates), New York, first published November 28, 2006. The copyright page states 'First Edition' followed by month and year and carries the full Tor number line ending in 1 (the 'First Edition' statement plus the complete line are both required). Trade issue in a printed, priced dust jacket over cloth boards.

## Is this the true first?
The US Tor trade hardcover (2006) is the true first. A signed limited issue of 100 numbered copies, signed by Card and housed in a plain (unprinted) acetate dust wrapper, was also produced; it is distinguished from the trade hardcover by the numbering, the signature, and the acetate wrapper in place of the printed jacket.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Trade paperback and book-club editions exist; a book-club copy lacks the printed jacket price and the complete number line. Require both the stated 'First Edition' and the full line ending in 1 on the trade hardcover.

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