# Is "Xenocide" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Xenocide by Orson Scott Card (Tor Books, 1991) is identified by: Tor hardcover in quarter black cloth over red paper boards; the copyright page reads 'First trade edition: August 1991' (not simply 'First Edition') with the number line 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1; jacket priced. US Tor trade hardcover (August 1991) is the first trade edition and the standard collected first; Tor's own wording is 'first trade edition.' An Easton Press signed leatherbound edition was also issued in the same period as part of its Signed First Editions of Science Fiction series.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Tor hardcover in quarter black cloth over red paper boards; the copyright page reads 'First trade edition: August 1991' (not simply 'First Edition') with the number line 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1; jacket priced
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Tor hardcover in quarter black cloth over red paper boards; the copyright page reads 'First trade edition: August 1991' (not simply 'First… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Tor hardcover in quarter black cloth over red paper boards; the copyright page reads 'First trade edition: August 1991' (not simply 'First Edition') with the number line 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1; jacket priced.

## Is this the true first?
US Tor trade hardcover (August 1991) is the first trade edition and the standard collected first; Tor's own wording is 'first trade edition.' An Easton Press signed leatherbound edition was also issued in the same period as part of its Signed First Editions of Science Fiction series.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
An SFBC book club edition exists: smaller format with no price on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Xenocide* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/xenocide
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.