# Is "Prentice Alvin" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Prentice Alvin by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 1989) is identified by: Tor Books (Tom Doherty Associates), New York, 1989 — The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book III (ISBN 0312931417). The US Tor hardcover (1989) is the true first edition and first printing; no earlier foreign printing precedes it.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Tor Books (Tom Doherty Associates), New York, 1989 — The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book III (ISBN 0312931417)
- Hardcover in dust jacket with the copyright page stating 'First Edition' accompanied by a full descending number line ending in 1
- First-state jacket carries the printed price on the front flap (a collector's copy should retain it)
- Bound in paper-covered boards in the Tor manner of the period with stamped spine
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Tor Books (Tom Doherty Associates), New York, 1989 — The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book III (ISBN 0312931417) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Tor Books (Tom Doherty Associates), New York, 1989 — The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book III (ISBN 0312931417). Hardcover in dust jacket with the copyright page stating 'First Edition' accompanied by a full descending number line ending in 1. First-state jacket carries the printed price on the front flap (a collector's copy should retain it). Bound in paper-covered boards in the Tor manner of the period with stamped spine.

## Is this the true first?
The US Tor hardcover (1989) is the true first edition and first printing; no earlier foreign printing precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club edition exists and is distinguished by a blind-stamped code (dot or gutter code) to the rear board, the absence of a printed jacket price, and the lack of the stated 'First Edition' with full number line.

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