# Is "The Worthing Chronicle" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Worthing Chronicle by Orson Scott Card (Ace, 1983) is identified by: Ace (New York) paperback original of 1983, first printing indicated by the number line on the copyright page; a first printing shows a complete line running to 1 with no advanced impression. The US Ace paperback original (1983) is the true first appearance of this revised text.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ace (New York) paperback original of 1983, first printing indicated by the number line on the copyright page; a first printing shows a complete line running to 1 with no advanced impression
- This is Card's substantial rewrite of his 1979 first novel 'Hot Sleep': the major events are retained but the story is retold from the vantage of a character who meets the protagonist much later in life, so the text here is a distinct revised work rather than a reprint of 'Hot Sleep'
- Publisher imprint reads Ace
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Ace |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ace (New York) paperback original of 1983, first printing indicated by the number line on the copyright page; a first printing shows a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ace (New York) paperback original of 1983, first printing indicated by the number line on the copyright page; a first printing shows a complete line running to 1 with no advanced impression. This is Card's substantial rewrite of his 1979 first novel 'Hot Sleep': the major events are retained but the story is retold from the vantage of a character who meets the protagonist much later in life, so the text here is a distinct revised work rather than a reprint of 'Hot Sleep'.

## Is this the true first?
The US Ace paperback original (1983) is the true first appearance of this revised text. The earlier, differently-narrated version was published as 'Hot Sleep' (Baronet, 1979); the two are separate texts, so 'Hot Sleep' does not precede this book as an edition of the same work.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of the standalone 'Worthing Chronicle' text; the material was later revised again and folded into the 1990 omnibus 'The Worthing Saga', which is a distinct later publication and not a reprint of this Ace paperback.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Worthing Chronicle* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-worthing-chronicle
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.