Ace Books

Ace Books

Ace Books is a publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. It was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn. Ace became known for the tête-bêche binding format used for many of its early books, although it did not originate the format.

About Ace Books in brief

Summary Ace BooksAce Books is a publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. It was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn. Ace became known for the tête-bêche binding format used for many of its early books, although it did not originate the format. The last Ace Double in the first series was John T. Phillifent’s Life with Lancelot, with William Barton on Kunderer, issued August 1973. Ace later became an imprint of Penguin Group and was absorbed by Berkley Books in 2007. The company is now owned by Penguin Group, a division of Penguin Random House, which also publishes fantasy and sci-fi books, among other titles. A. Wollheim was working at Avon Books in 1952, but disliked his job. While looking for other work, he tried to persuade A. A Wyn to begin a new paperback publishing company. The first book published by Ace was a pair of mysteries bound têtte- bêche: Keith Vining’s Too Hot for Hell, backed with Samuel W. Taylor’s The Grinning Gismo, priced at 35 cents, with serial number D-01.

In 1953, A. E. van Vogt’s The World of Null-A followed with his The Maker, bound with Edward Leithead’s Bloody Hoithead. In 1954, Ace’s first foray into science fiction, The Woosters, followed with The Code of the Wooster, bound by G. P. Wodehouse’s Quick Service Quick Service. In 1956, Ace published its first science fiction title in 1953, The Wosters of the Universe, with J.R. R. Tolkien on the cover. In 1958, the company published The Code Of The Wooster, with the cover by Robert Bloch. In 1959, the first Ace Science Fiction Specials series was published, featuring William S. Burroughs’s first novel, Junkie. In 1961, Ace began publishing a western series, The Bad Man’s Return, backed by William Colt MacDonald’s Bad Man’s Return. In 1962, Ace became a science fiction publisher for the first time, with a few books not in either genre, such as G.P. Wodeshouse’s The Quick Man. In 1964, Ace started publishing a series of gothic novels, including those by Louis L’Amour.