# Is "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 1985) is identified by: The true first printing does not use the words 'First Edition'; instead the copyright page reads 'First TOR printing: January 1985' with no later printings listed and a number line ending in 1. US Tor hardcover is the true first (the novel expands the 1977 Analog novelette; the identifying statement is 'First TOR printing: January 1985').

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first printing does not use the words 'First Edition'; instead the copyright page reads 'First TOR printing: January 1985' with no later printings listed and a number line ending in 1
- Bound in blue paper-covered boards with a blue cloth spine lettered in silver
- The first-state dust jacket carries art by John Harris, shows its printed price on the front flap, and bears a Gene Wolfe quotation on the rear panel; the price should be present (an unclipped flap is preferred, though clipping alone does not disqualify a first)
- A gutter/signature code (reported as Q24) is noted by first-edition references as a first-printing tell
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first printing does not use the words 'First Edition'; instead the copyright page reads 'First TOR printing: January 1985' with no… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first printing does not use the words 'First Edition'; instead the copyright page reads 'First TOR printing: January 1985' with no later printings listed and a number line ending in 1. Bound in blue paper-covered boards with a blue cloth spine lettered in silver. The first-state dust jacket carries art by John Harris, shows its printed price on the front flap, and bears a Gene Wolfe quotation on the rear panel; the price should be present (an unclipped flap is preferred, though clipping alone does not disqualify a first). A gutter/signature code (reported as Q24) is noted by first-edition references as a first-printing tell.

## Is this the true first?
US Tor hardcover is the true first (the novel expands the 1977 Analog novelette; the identifying statement is 'First TOR printing: January 1985'). Signed firsts are common since Card signs frequently, so a plain signature adds modest value; condition and a true first-printing copyright statement are what matter.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
SFBC book-club editions are distinct issues: they carry 'Book Club Edition' on the jacket flap with no printed price, a blind-stamped dot/code on the rear board, and use smaller trim and cheaper paper than the Tor trade first. A later 1986 SFBC omnibus (Ender's War) reprinted the text with Speaker for the Dead. Book-club printings are common and easily distinguished from the Tor first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ender's Game* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/enders-game
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.