# Is "Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 1996) is identified by: Tor hardcover in cloth-backed boards with an illustrated dust jacket. The US Tor hardcover (February 1996) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Tor hardcover in cloth-backed boards with an illustrated dust jacket
- The copyright page states 'First Edition: February 1996' with the full number line 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1; the 1 present indicates the first printing
- First-printing jackets retain the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Tor hardcover in cloth-backed boards with an illustrated dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Tor hardcover in cloth-backed boards with an illustrated dust jacket. The copyright page states 'First Edition: February 1996' with the full number line 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1; the 1 present indicates the first printing. First-printing jackets retain the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Tor hardcover (February 1996) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
First printings have a jacket with the printed price present; a jacket lacking a printed price indicates a book-club copy.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/pastwatch-the-redemption-of-christopher-columbus
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.