# Is "Fortress in the Eye of Time" by C.J. Cherryh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Fortress in the Eye of Time by C.J. Cherryh (HarperPrism, 1995) is identified by: HarperPrism hardcover, 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with 'First printing: May 1995' and a full number line ending in 1 (ISBN 9780061092954). US HarperPrism hardcover (May 1995) is the true first; UK editions followed later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- HarperPrism hardcover, 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with 'First printing: May 1995' and a full number line ending in 1 (ISBN 9780061092954)
- Roughly 568 pages; volume one of the Fortress series
- The pictorial dust jacket carries a color castle-and-landscape illustration wrapping front, spine and back, and the first-issue jacket should show the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads HarperPrism
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.J. Cherryh |
| Publisher | HarperPrism |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | HarperPrism hardcover, 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with 'First printing: May 1995' and a full number line ending in 1… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
HarperPrism hardcover, 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with 'First printing: May 1995' and a full number line ending in 1 (ISBN 9780061092954). Roughly 568 pages; volume one of the Fortress series. The pictorial dust jacket carries a color castle-and-landscape illustration wrapping front, spine and back, and the first-issue jacket should show the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US HarperPrism hardcover (May 1995) is the true first; UK editions followed later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club hardcover edition exists; club copies typically lack the printed price on the jacket flap and are often physically smaller and lighter than the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Fortress in the Eye of Time* by C.J. Cherryh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/fortress-in-the-eye-of-time
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.