ACE Doubles (and Singles) Image Library - Belmont Doubles - Science Fiction (SF), Western, Gothic, Mystery -tete-beche format and dos-a-ados format - cover art and artist

There was a Belmont Books checklist compiled by Rahn Kollander in three parts in the now-defunct Books Are Everything! magazine published by R. C. and Elwanda Holland. I have used the information in BAE, volume 1 (no. 6), November 1988 (pages 38-41) and BAE, volume 1 (no. 5), September 1988 (pages 28-31) editions to cross check the information on this page. However, keep your eyes peeled as there may be other Belmont Doubles not on that checklist or in my listing.

92-812 JAMES BLISH Giants in the Earth (c.1952; 1965) and ROBERT SILVERBERG We, The Marauders (c.1958; January 1965; 1st thus)

Note this volume has a split artwork cover for each story and that the volume is headlined as "A Pair From Space." Please note that the publication history of these stories is suggested to be "first paperback publication" as well as "complete." Probably this relates to the complete abridgment of stories for paperback publication and forestalling any potential hesitation on the buyer at the newstand.

I have also found that in the Belmont Books catalogue this volume is listed as L92-612 A Pair From Space by James Blish and Robert Silverberg, rather than the individual titles. The 92-812 number sequence is not listed in the BAE checklist.

The B50 prefix is for the price - 50 cents.

B50-630 E. B. MANN Luck Rides With The Fastest Man and E. B. MANN Gunslick ,,, By Request (1966; 1st thus)

B50-670 E. B. MANN Buzzards of Apache Gap and E. B. MANN Return of the Gun-Club (1966; 1st thus)

Note that Belmont followed a similar format of two stories by the same author as did ACE Doubles for the G-series mystery and the later five-digit numerical sequence science fiction genres. Split artwork cover.

B50-759 LIN CARTER The Flame of Iridar and KRIS NEVILLE Peril of the Starmen (c.1953; May 1967; 1st thus; listed as "complete, full length novels")

B50-759 (back cover)

Split artwork cover.

B50-772 WALT COBURN Bordertown and BURT ARTHUR Showdown! (1967; western)

Split artwork cover.

B50-779 HARLAN ELLISON Doomsman (c.1958; 1967) and LEE HOFFMAN Telepower (August 1967; 1st thus; listed as "full length novels")

B50-779 (back cover)

Split artwork cover.

B50-783 ROSE DANA (aka W. E. D. ROSS) Nurse in Danger and ROSE WILLIAMS (aka W. E. D. ROSS) Department Store Nurse (1967)

Split artwork cover. Listed as "Two Complete Full Length Nurse Novels." Not listed in the BAE checklist.

B50-784 WALT COBURN El Hombre and E. B. MANN Rustler's Warning (1967; western)

B50-788 KRIS NEVILLE Special Delivery (c.1951; 1967) and DAVE VAN ARNAM Star Gladiator (October 1967; 1st thus; listed as "complete, full length novels")

Split artwork cover. The artwork for Star Gladiator reminds me of the Jack Gaughan cover for Andre Norton's Star Born.

B50-792 E. B. MANN Claim Jumpers and BURT ARTHUR Dead Man's Gulch (1967; western)

Split artwork cover. Listed as "Two Double-Barrelled Western Novels."

B50-794 E. B. MANN The Gunners and WALT COBURN Montana Man (1967; western)

Split artwork cover. Listed as "Two Complete Full Length Western Novels."

B50-806 LAURA PETERSON Promise of the Heart and PAULA LITTLE Love Conquers All (1967; romance)

B50-809 LIN CARTER The Thief of Thoth and FRANK BELKNAP LONG .... And Others Shall Be Born (cover by Jerome Podwil; January 1968; 1st thus; listed as "complete novels")

Note the move to a single art cover.

And Others Shall Be Born is a first printing and PBO while The Thief of Thoth was revised and expanded from the version published in the November (1966) issue of "Worlds of Tomorrow."

B50-812 WALT COBURN Reckless! and E. B. MANN Men Of Blood (February 1968; western)

Single cover art with the headline "2 Double Barreled Westerns." Back cover follows the split design with blurb "Two Complete Western Novels."

B50-813 JAMES BLISH Giants in the Earth (c.1952, 1965; 1968) and ROBERT SILVERBERG We, The Marauders (c.1958, 1965; this edition 1968)

Reprints Belmont 92-612 (1965).

The BAE checklist does not list any of the following. The B60 prefix is for the price - 60 cents.

B60-058 GENEVIEVE ST. JOHN (aka LESLIE GLADSON) Daughter of Evil and PAULA MINTON Shadow of a Witch (1967; 1st thus; listed as "complete novels")

Listed as a "Belmont Double Gothic." Split artwork cover.

B60-059 VIRGINIA COFFMAN Hounds of Hell and DAOMA WINSTON Carnaby Curse (1967; 1st printing; listed as "complete, full length gothic novels")

Listed as a "Belmont Double Gothic." Split artwork cover.

B60-062 GENEVIEVE ST. JOHN Night of Evil and DAOMA WINSTON Castle of Closing Doors (July 1967; 1st thus; listed as "complete novels")

B60-066 PAULA MINTON Portrait of Terror and MIRIAM LYNCH Amber Twilight (September 1967; 1st thus; listed as "complete, full length gothic novels")

Listed as a "Belmont Double Gothic." Split artwork cover.

B60-068 VIRGINIA COFFMAN The Villa Fountains and MIRIAM LYNCH The Deadly Rose (April 1968; 1st thus; listed as "complete, full length gothic novels")

Listed as a "Belmont Double Gothic." Split artwork cover.

B60-077 WILLIAM TENN A Lamp For Medusa and DAVE VAN ARNAM The Players of Hell (June 1968; 1st edition and PBO)

Listed as "first paperback publication" for A Lamp For Medusa. Single artwork cover with artist signature (Marini) on bottom right corner.

B60-078 JOAN LOCKWOOD FINN Heritage of Evil and PATRICIA DREW Who Is Melody? (June 1968; 1st thus; listed as "two full length gothic novels")

Image courtesy of Gibson Books. Single artwork cover.

B60-080 ROBERT BLOCH Ladies' Day and ROBERT BLOCH This Crowded Earth (c.1958; August 1968; listed as "first book publication" and as "complete novels")

B60-080 (back cover)

Single cover artwork.

B60-081 JOHN BRUNNER Father of Lies and BRUCE DUNCAN Mirror Image (October 1968; 1st thus; listed as "complete novels")

Holroyd (2003) has B60-081 listed only for Duncan's Mirror Image while he has a listing for B60-085 with Brunner's Father of Lies bound with Leo P. Kelly's Journey to Earthdeath. There is some confusion here and if any AIL user has a copy of Belmont B60-081 with only a single story or the Belmont B60-085 with the Brunner and Kelly stories, please drop me an e-gram.

B60-084 E. B. MANN Murder Trail and WALT COBURN Showndown Mesa

Listed as "Two Double-Barreled Westerns." Single artwork cover.

B60-1010 JOHN BRUNNER The Evil That Men Do and LIN CARTER The Purloined Planet (May 1969; 1st thus)

Both of these stories are copyrighted for 1969 and are thus first paperback publication, but this is not indicated on the cover. Single cover artwork.

The BAE checklist does not list any of the following. The B75 prefix is for the price - 75 cents.

B75-203 PAULA CHRISTIAN This Side of Love and Edge of Twilight (1966)

If any AIL users has a copy of this, please contact me. Thanks.

The BAE checklist does not list any of the following.

BT50244 HARLAN ELLISON Doomsman (c.1958, 1967; 1972) bound with LIN CARTER Thief of Thoth (c.1968; July 1972)

50244 (back cover)

This appears to be a "make-up" volume using Thief of Thoth (originally published in B50-809; 1968) and Doomsman (originally published in B50-779; c. 1958, 1967). Thus, this could be considered a "1st thus" publication.

BT50759 ROBERT BLOCH Ladies' Day (c.1968; 1974) bound with ROBERT BLOCH This Crowded Earth (c.1958, 1968; this edition 1974)

This reprints Belmont B60-080 (1968).

BT50787 JOHN BRUNNER The Evil That Men Do bound with LIN CARTER The Purloined Planet (c.1969; March 1975)

Both of these stories are copyrighted for 1969 and reprints Belmont B60-1010 (1969). Belmont Tower publication. Single cover artwork.

NOTE: I think the BT-series doubles are related to the Belmont-Tower releases. I am going to list them there as well until I can track down this somewhat confusing publication history (and I thought that ACE Books had the majority of these issues).

Belmont Doubles Image Library

I have also found that in the Belmont Books catalogue this volume is listed as L92-612 A Pair From Space by James Blish and Robert Silverberg, rather than the individual titles. The 92-812 number sequence is not listed in the BAE checklist.

The B50 prefix is for the price - 50 cents.

Note that Belmont followed a similar format of two stories by the same author as did ACE Doubles for the G-series mystery and the later five-digit numerical sequence science fiction genres. Split artwork cover.

Split artwork cover.

Split artwork cover. Listed as "Two Complete Full Length Nurse Novels." Not listed in the BAE checklist.

Note the move to a single art cover.

And Others Shall Be Born is a first printing and PBO while The Thief of Thoth was revised and expanded from the version published in the November (1966) issue of "Worlds of Tomorrow."

Single cover art with the headline "2 Double Barreled Westerns." Back cover follows the split design with blurb "Two Complete Western Novels."

Reprints Belmont 92-612 (1965).

The BAE checklist does not list any of the following. The B60 prefix is for the price - 60 cents.

Listed as a "Belmont Double Gothic." Split artwork cover.

Listed as a "Belmont Double Gothic." Split artwork cover.

Listed as "first paperback publication" for A Lamp For Medusa. Single artwork cover with artist signature (Marini) on bottom right corner.

Image courtesy of Gibson Books. Single artwork cover.

Single cover artwork.

Both of these stories are copyrighted for 1969 and are thus first paperback publication, but this is not indicated on the cover. Single cover artwork.

If any AIL users has a copy of this, please contact me. Thanks.

This appears to be a "make-up" volume using Thief of Thoth (originally published in B50-809; 1968) and Doomsman (originally published in B50-779; c. 1958, 1967). Thus, this could be considered a "1st thus" publication.

This reprints Belmont B60-080 (1968).

Both of these stories are copyrighted for 1969 and reprints Belmont B60-1010 (1969). Belmont Tower publication. Single cover artwork.

NOTE: I think the BT-series doubles are related to the Belmont-Tower releases. I am going to list them there as well until I can track down this somewhat confusing publication history (and I thought that ACE Books had the majority of these issues).

Last update: 08 February 2021