# Is "Shadow Puppets" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 2002) is identified by: Tor hardcover, New York, ISBN 0-7653-0017-6, an octavo of 348 pages. US Tor hardcover (August 2002) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Tor hardcover, New York, ISBN 0-7653-0017-6, an octavo of 348 pages
- The copyright page states 'First Edition: August 2002' with the full Tor number line ending 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (line must end in 1); published August 2002
- The dust-jacket cover art is by Shane Rebenschied, and the jacket should retain its original printed price (any specific figure is not stated here)
- Shadow Saga vol
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Tor hardcover, New York, ISBN 0-7653-0017-6, an octavo of 348 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Tor hardcover, New York, ISBN 0-7653-0017-6, an octavo of 348 pages. The copyright page states 'First Edition: August 2002' with the full Tor number line ending 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (line must end in 1); published August 2002. The dust-jacket cover art is by Shane Rebenschied, and the jacket should retain its original printed price (any specific figure is not stated here). Shadow Saga vol. 3.

## Is this the true first?
US Tor hardcover (August 2002) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Trade paperback and book-club editions exist; the club edition is distinguished from the trade first by the absence of the jacket price and the full number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Shadow Puppets* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/shadow-puppets
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.