# Is "Speaker for the Dead" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 1986) is identified by: First printing carries the printed statement "First printing: March 1986" on the copyright page, together with a Tor number line that descends to 1 (the Tor form "0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1"). The US Tor hardcover, first printing dated March 1986, is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the printed statement "First printing: March 1986" on the copyright page, together with a Tor number line that descends to 1 (the Tor form "0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1")
- Issued in the original first-issue dust jacket, which should carry its printed cover price on the front flap; the price being intact confirms an unclipped example, though a neatly clipped jacket does not by itself demote a first printing
- Tor is stamped as the publisher on the title page; the later 1991 reissue is a separate jacket and should not be confused with the 1986 first
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the printed statement "First printing: March 1986" on the copyright page, together with a Tor number line that… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the printed statement "First printing: March 1986" on the copyright page, together with a Tor number line that descends to 1 (the Tor form "0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1"). Issued in the original first-issue dust jacket, which should carry its printed cover price on the front flap; the price being intact confirms an unclipped example, though a neatly clipped jacket does not by itself demote a first printing. Tor is stamped as the publisher on the title page; the later 1991 reissue is a separate jacket and should not be confused with the 1986 first.

## Is this the true first?
The US Tor hardcover, first printing dated March 1986, is the true first edition. Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, and the direct sequel to Ender's Game.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Science Fiction Book Club edition is the common look-alike: it reads "Book Club Edition" on the jacket flap, carries no printed price, has a blind-stamped dot or square to the lower rear board, is slightly smaller, and is printed on lighter paper. It lacks the "First printing: March 1986" line and Tor number line of the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Speaker for the Dead* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/speaker-for-the-dead
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.