# Is "The Crystal City" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Crystal City by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 2003) is identified by: US Tor (Tom Doherty Associates) hardcover in dust jacket, 2003; the sixth volume of The Tales of Alvin Maker (subtitled 'The Tales of Alvin Maker VI'), 384 pp., ISBN 0-312-86483-3. The US Tor hardcover (2003) is the true first edition, preceding later paperback printings.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Tor (Tom Doherty Associates) hardcover in dust jacket, 2003; the sixth volume of The Tales of Alvin Maker (subtitled 'The Tales of Alvin Maker VI'), 384 pp., ISBN 0-312-86483-3
- The copyright page carries the Tor edition statement 'First Edition: November 2003', and the priced jacket should retain its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Tor (Tom Doherty Associates) hardcover in dust jacket, 2003; the sixth volume of The Tales of Alvin Maker (subtitled 'The Tales of Alvin… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Tor (Tom Doherty Associates) hardcover in dust jacket, 2003; the sixth volume of The Tales of Alvin Maker (subtitled 'The Tales of Alvin Maker VI'), 384 pp., ISBN 0-312-86483-3. The copyright page carries the Tor edition statement 'First Edition: November 2003', and the priced jacket should retain its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Tor hardcover (2003) is the true first edition, preceding later paperback printings.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A true first is identified by the 'First Edition: November 2003' statement together with a complete descending number line on the copyright page and a printed Tor jacket price; book-club copies typically lack the printed jacket price and the full number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Crystal City* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-crystal-city
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.