How to identify a first printing
- States 'First Edition' on the copyright page WITH a descending number line ending in 1 (e.g. '0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' or with the lowest being 1).
- Tor's reliable test: the explicit 'First Edition' line PLUS the number line — both must be present for a hardcover first.
- Mass-market paperback originals: 'First Tor edition (Month Year)' / 'First printing' with no later printings.
- Forge uses the identical convention (sister SF/historical imprint).
Notable points & cautions
- Founded 1980 by Tom Doherty; the leading US SF/fantasy house. Now part of Macmillan (Tom Doherty Associates), so follows Macmillan 'First Edition' + line-to-1 convention.
- Tor frequently issues a title FIRST as a hardcover then a mass-market; both can exist — the hardcover with 'First Edition' + line-to-1 is the true first.
- Tordotcom (novellas) and Tor Nightfire (horror) follow the same convention.
- Orb is a trade-paperback REPRINT line — usually NOT a first.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Forge (historical/thriller), Tor.com / Tordotcom, Tor Teen, Orb (reprints), Tor Nightfire (horror), Starscape, Nightshade (later). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Tor Books book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. States 'First Edition' on the copyright page WITH a descending number line ending in 1 (e.g. '0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' or with the lowest being 1). Tor's reliable test: the explicit 'First Edition' line PLUS the number line — both must be present for a hardcover first.
Does Tor Books use a number line?
Tor's reliable test: the explicit 'First Edition' line PLUS the number line — both must be present for a hardcover first.
Is a book-club edition a Tor Books first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1980 by Tom Doherty; the leading US SF/fantasy house. Now part of Macmillan (Tom Doherty Associates), so follows Macmillan 'First Edition' + line-to-1 convention.
What era does this cover?
This covers Tor Books (1980–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Tor Books titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- A Crown of Swords (WoT 7) (Robert Jordan, 1996)
- A Deepness in the Sky (Vernor Vinge, 1999)
- A Desolation Called Peace (Arkady Martine, 2021)
- A Fire Upon the Deep (Vernor Vinge, 1992)
- A Memory Called Empire (Arkady Martine, 2019)
- A Memory of Light (WoT 14, with Brandon Sanderson) (Robert Jordan, 2013)
- All the Birds in the Sky (Charlie Jane Anders, 2016)
- Among Others (Jo Walton, 2011)
- Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection (Brandon Sanderson, 2016)
- Children of the Mind (Orson Scott Card, 1996)
- Children of Time (Adrian Tchaikovsky, 2015)
- Crossroads of Twilight (WoT 10) (Robert Jordan, 2003)
- Earthborn (Orson Scott Card, 1995)
- Earthfall (Orson Scott Card, 1995)
- Elantris (Brandon Sanderson, 2005)
- Elvissey (Jack Womack, 1993)
- Empire (Orson Scott Card, 2006)
- Ender in Exile (Orson Scott Card, 2008)
- Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card, 1985)
- Ender's Shadow (Orson Scott Card, 1999)
- Hominids (Robert J. Sawyer, 2002)
- Knife of Dreams (WoT 11) (Robert Jordan, 2005)
- Lord of Chaos (WoT 6) (Robert Jordan, 1994)
- Lost Everything (Brian Francis Slattery, 2012)
Documenting 72 Tor Books titles in all — browse the full title-by-title library →