"dos-à-dos"
The format for the ACE Doubles is a single volume has two texts bound together where one text is rotated 180° relative to the other so that when one text runs 'head-to-tail,' the other runs 'tail-to-head.' This type of binding is properly termed tête-bêche (from the French meaning "head-to-toe") rather than the commonly applied term dos-à-dos (from the French meaning "back-to-back"). Books bound in the tête-bêche manner have no back cover, but instead have two front covers and a single spine with two titles. This allows each story to have a separate cover, with appropriate artwork. When a reader reaches the end of the text of one of the stories, the next page is the (upside-down) final page of the other work (or in the case of many ACE Doubles, advertisement material for purchasing other ACE Doubles).
The dos-à-dos format also binds two stories together, but the orientation is not inverted as in the tête-bêche format. Books bound in the dos-à-dos manner have two front covers but have also have two spines. The orientation (back-to-back) places both stories in the same upright format, but the front story is read 'left to right' while the back story is read 'right to left.'
The format for the ACE Double in the D-, F-, M-, or early five-digit letter number sequence was tête-bêche. However, in the later five-digit letter number sequence, the binding format changed to a binding where the two separate books are bound together in a 'follow-the-leader' format. This results in a book with a single cover and separate back cover. Often there was only a single page between the end of the first story and the beginning of the next where advertising was placed. In later editions, this page was often not present and the next story started on the page following the end of the first tale.
ACE Books used the tête-bêche binding format as a marketing technique, but the binding style has spread to other publishers for various genres. In the following, a set of pages has been developed to catalogue these various excursions into this form of book design. When there is an active NET site the link will take you to the appropriate URL. However, as I have found in my research as a geologist, most times when you think there should be a lot of information or study on a particular topic, you generally find that little has been recorded or investigated.
Disclaimer: Althought this might seem to be an attempt at a rigorous study, it is just a way of getting a lot of my stuff organized and catalogued - remember, this is s'posed to be fun. As always, this page - along with the others of the ACE Image Library - are continually being updated and reviewed. If you have comments, corrections, or images and publishing information, please contact me at IronWolf Engine Works. Thank you.
TOR Books
Probably the most recognized of the "tête-bêche" imitators of ACE Books was the TOR SF Doubles (Tom Doherty Associates, Inc). Note that some of these TOR Doubles are actually single cover volumes with two stories like many of the later ACE Doubles (five digit series). I have looked for a NET site that is complete and found none (at this time). Thus, the following is put together from my collection and sources.
In my search to find other examples of the tête-bêche format used by ACE Doubles, I expected to use the TOR Science Fiction Doubles as another example. To my amazement, I found that TOR also published western genre fiction in this style (wow - just another weird and wonderful thing that the NET has allowed me to explore - I am a true research geek). So, in order to be as complete as possible, here are the Western genre TOR Doubles that I have uncovered so far. Please note that these follow the format of the single cover TOR SF Double with an interesting stylistic format. All of the ones I have seen use the revolver ( I think this is either a Remington-Rider percussion revolver or a Remington Army Revolver, New Model, 1874) as a key part of the cover art. These are single author volumes with both titles listed on the cover.
Belmont Science Fiction
Belmont Books (Belmont Productions, Inc., 185 Madison Ave., New York, NY) produced a number (I have a few) of double story volumes. They were composed of a single cover (much like the later ACE Double five-digit numerical series) and two stories. The numbering sequence is not consistent nor is the way in which they advertised the double volume. Please note that they published the doubles in Science Fiction, Mystery, Western, and Gothic genres (quite a mix).
MAGABOOK Doubles
Magabook Doubles ("Science Fiction at its Best") were similar to the Belmont Doubles with two stories by the same author and using split artwork for the single cover. I believe they were published by Galaxy Magazine (but different than the Galaxy Magazine single story special editions). I only have one of these, but several AIL users have submitted some of the other editions (Thank You!). If any AIL user has further information on this series, please let me know.
Signet Books produced a number (I have a few) of double story volumes. Like the Belmont Doubles, they were composed of a single cover and two stories by the same author. Once again, the numbering sequence is not consistent (although you can use the ISBN to track them) nor is the way in which they advertised the double volume. Please note that they published the doubles in Science Fiction, Mystery, Western, and Gothic-Romance genres.
NESFA (New England Science Fiction Association) Press has produced one "tête-bêche" (hardbound) volume. It was done to commemorate Lee Hoffman and A. Bertram Chandler's appearances as Fan Guest of Honor and Guest of Honor, respectively, at Chicon IV, the fortieth world science fiction convention. The cover art for the two covers was done by Frank Kelly Freas.
A. BERTRAM CHANDLER Up To The Sky In Ships and LEE HOFFMAN In And Out Of Quandry (1982; 1st edition)
Up To The Sky In Ships contains seven short stories: Chance Encounter, Haunt, Planet of Ill Repute, Drift, Ghost, The New Dimension, and The Unharmonious World.
In And Out Of Quandry contains several articles and essays on fannish topics.
More to come!
Last update: 23 May 2008
