# Is "The Eye of the World" by Robert Jordan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (Tor Books, 1990) is identified by: US Tor hardcover released 15 January 1990, issued simultaneously with a trade paperback. The Tor US hardcover is the collected true first of The Wheel of Time.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Tor hardcover released 15 January 1990, issued simultaneously with a trade paperback
- First printing states 'First edition: February 1990' on the copyright page (despite the January release) with a full number line ending in 1, and lists both the hardcover and paperback ISBNs, a pairing dropped from later printings
- Darrell K. Sweet jacket art
- The first hardcover printing was small, aimed largely at libraries
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Jordan |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Tor hardcover released 15 January 1990, issued simultaneously with a trade paperback |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Tor hardcover released 15 January 1990, issued simultaneously with a trade paperback. First printing states 'First edition: February 1990' on the copyright page (despite the January release) with a full number line ending in 1, and lists both the hardcover and paperback ISBNs, a pairing dropped from later printings. Darrell K. Sweet jacket art. The first hardcover printing was small, aimed largely at libraries.

## Is this the true first?
The Tor US hardcover is the collected true first of The Wheel of Time. A trade paperback was issued essentially simultaneously, but the hardcover is the collected first. UK Orbit followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book club edition (SFBC) is physically smaller, carries a blind-stamped gutter code on the rear board and an unpriced jacket, and lacks the full number line. Note that the copyright page on the trade hardcover lists both hardcover and paperback ISBNs — confirm the full number line and the stated 'First edition.'

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Eye of the World* by Robert Jordan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-eye-of-the-world
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.