# Is "Maps in a Mirror: The Short Fiction of Orson Scott Card" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Maps in a Mirror: The Short Fiction of Orson Scott Card by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 1990) is identified by: Omnibus story collection gathering forty-six stories in 675 pages. The US Tor hardcover (1990) is the true first comprehensive collection of Card's short fiction.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Omnibus story collection gathering forty-six stories in 675 pages
- Tor hardcover (Tom Doherty Associates, New York, 1990), ISBN 0312850476, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page and a full number line ending in 1
- Jacket art is by Carol Russo; a first-state jacket retains the printed Tor price on the front flap (an unclipped flap is preferred)
- Confirm both the stated line and the terminal 1 in the number line, since later Tor printings reset the number line while keeping the same jacket art
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Omnibus story collection gathering forty-six stories in 675 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Omnibus story collection gathering forty-six stories in 675 pages. Tor hardcover (Tom Doherty Associates, New York, 1990), ISBN 0312850476, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page and a full number line ending in 1. Jacket art is by Carol Russo; a first-state jacket retains the printed Tor price on the front flap (an unclipped flap is preferred). Confirm both the stated line and the terminal 1 in the number line, since later Tor printings reset the number line while keeping the same jacket art.

## Is this the true first?
The US Tor hardcover (1990) is the true first comprehensive collection of Card's short fiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
An SFBC edition exists and is typically thinner and lighter with a gutter-code blindstamp to the rear board and no printed price on the jacket; it lacks the Tor number line and is not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Maps in a Mirror: The Short Fiction of Orson Scott Card* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/maps-in-a-mirror-the-short-fiction-of-orson-scott-card
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.