# Is "The Ships of Earth" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Ships of Earth by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 1994) is identified by: First trade edition in cloth-backed boards, 382 pp. US Tor hardcover (February 1994) is the true first; the copyright page's own wording, confirmed by dealer descriptions, is 'First trade edition: February 1994' with the number line 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New York: Tor, 1994
- First trade edition in cloth-backed boards, 382 pp
- The copyright page states 'First trade edition: February 1994' (not 'First Edition') followed by the full number line 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1; the terminal 1 confirms the first printing
- Priced, unclipped dust jacket
- Homecoming vol
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New York: Tor, 1994 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New York: Tor, 1994. First trade edition in cloth-backed boards, 382 pp. The copyright page states 'First trade edition: February 1994' (not 'First Edition') followed by the full number line 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1; the terminal 1 confirms the first printing. Priced, unclipped dust jacket. Homecoming vol. 3.

## Is this the true first?
US Tor hardcover (February 1994) is the true first; the copyright page's own wording, confirmed by dealer descriptions, is 'First trade edition: February 1994' with the number line 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club text appeared in the GuildAmerica/SFBC omnibus Homecoming: Harmony (1994), which combines volumes 1-3; first printings have a priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Ships of Earth* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-ships-of-earth
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.