American company Ace Books began publishing genre fiction starting in 1952. Initially these were mostly in tête-bêche format with the ends of the two parts meeting in the middle and with a divider between them which functioned as the rear cover of both (the two parts were oriented upside-down with respect to each other in order to effect this), but the company also published some single volumes during the early years. The proportion of singles increased until they stopped producing doubles about 1978. The tête-bêche format was discarded in 1973, but future double novels were continued for a while with both parts oriented the same way, so that the first page of one part followed soon after the last page of the other part.

Between 1952 and 1968, the books had a letter-series identifier; after that date they were given five-digit numeric serial numbers. The list given here includes every Ace Double Book published between 1952 and 1978, for all genres. It gives a date of publication; in all cases this refers to the date of publication by Ace, and not the date of original publication of the novels. For more information about the history of these titles, see the entry for Ace Books, which includes a discussion of the serial numbering conventions used and an explanation of the letter-code system.

Genres and collectability

Ace published science fiction, mysteries, and westerns, as well as books not in any of these genres. Several bibliographic references have been compiled for the science fiction books (see the section for References). The tête-bêche format inspired a further series of sf doubles published by Tor Books between 1988 and 1991, the Tor Double Novels.

Because the tête-bêche format is part of the attraction for some collectors, titles published between 1974 and 1978, which contained two titles by one or two authors but which are not tête-bêche, are not regarded by some collectors as true Ace Doubles. All the books are included in the list given below, with the difference in format noted.

The list given here includes an indication of the genre of the works, in italics after the serial number. Abbreviations used are "SF" for science fiction titles; "MY" for mystery titles, and "WE" for westerns. In addition, "NA" is used to mean "not applicable", when one or both of the books is not in one of these three genres; and "UN", when the genre of the books is not known. The list also gives a date of publication; in all cases this refers to the date of publication by Ace, and not necessarily the date of original publication of the novels.

The list is thought to be complete, but there may be minor omissions among the later lists.

For more information about the history of these titles, see Ace Books, which includes a discussion of the serial numbering conventions used and an explanation of the letter-code system.

Jokes

The double format inspired contests for ironic or satirical combinations of titles that might appear, as in "No Blade of Grass"/"The Sheep Look Up".

"It's a fond legend of fandom that if an SF editor got his hands on the Old and New Testaments, they'd be published as War God of Israel and The Thing With Three Souls.

— Dave Langford, SFX, issue #81, August 2001[1]

D and S Series

F Series

M Series

G Series

  • G-501 MY Charlotte Armstrong Lewi (as Charlotte Armstrong) Incident At A Corner / The Unsuspected (1965)
  • G-503 MY Ursula Curtiss The Face Of The Tiger / The Stairway (1962)
  • G-506 MY Doris Miles Disney Black Mail / Did She Fall Or Was She Pushed?
  • G-508 MY Ruth Fenisong The Schemers / But Not Forgotten (1965)
  • G-509 MY Elisabeth Sanxay Holding The Virgin Huntress / The Innocent Mrs. Duff (1951)
  • G-511 MY Charlotte Armstrong Lewi (as Charlotte Armstrong) The Chocolate Cobweb / Who's Been Sitting In My Chair? (1965)
  • G-512 MY Elisabeth S. Holding The Blank Wall / The Girl Who Had To Die (1965)
  • G-513 MY Charlotte Armstrong Lewi (as Charlotte Armstrong) Then Came Two Women / Catch As Catch Can (1965)
  • G-518 MY Helen Reilly Follow Me / The Opening Door (1965)
  • G-519 MY Elisabeth Sanxay Holding The Old Battle Axe / The Obstinate Murderer (1965)
  • G-521 MY Charlotte Armstrong Lewi (as Charlotte Armstrong) Mischief / The Better To Eat You (1965)
  • G-523 MY Ursula Curtiss The Forbidden Garden / Hours To Kill (1965)
  • G-524 MY Elisabeth Sanxay Holding Who's Afraid? / Widow's Mite (1965)
  • G-525 MY Dana Lyon The Tentacles / Spin The Web Tight (1965)
  • G-526 MY Charlotte Armstrong Lewi (as Charlotte Armstrong) The Mark Of The Hand / The Dream Walker (1965)
  • G-528 MY Helen Reilly Certain Sleep / Ding Dong Bell (1965)
  • G-529 MY Dorothy Miles Disney Unappointed Rounds / Mrs. Meeker's Money (1965)
  • G-530 MY Elisabeth Sanxay Holding The Unfinished Crime / Net Of Cobwebs (1963)
  • G-531 MY Helen Reilly Not Me, Inspector / The Canvas Dagger (1965)
  • G-533 MY Charlotte Armstrong Lewi (as Charlotte Armstrong) The Black-Eyed Stranger / The One-Faced Girl (1965)
  • G-534 MY Elisabeth Sanxay Holding Kill Joy / Speak Of The Devil (1965)
  • G-535 MY Dana Lyon The Lost One / The Frightened Child (1965)
  • G-539 MY Hilda Lawrence Duet In Death: Composition For Four Hands / Duet In Death: The House (1965)
  • G-543 MY Mildred Davis The Dark Place / They Buried A Man (1965)
  • G-573 WE Tom West Rattlesnake Range / Merle Constiner Top Gun From The Dakotas (1966)
  • G-574 SF Avram Davidson The Kar-Chee Reign / Ursula K. Le Guin Rocannon's World (1966)
  • G-576 SF John Rackham Danger From Vega / Avram Davidson Clash of Star-Kings (1966)
  • G-577 WE Roger Spellman Big Man From The Brazos / Ray Hogan Killer's Gun (1966)
  • G-579 WE Lee E. Wells Ride A Dim Trail / Louis Trimble Showdown In The Cayuse (1966)
  • G-580 SF Mack Reynolds Dawnman Planet / Claude Nunes Inherit the Earth (1966)
  • G-584 WE William E. Vance Son Of A Desparado / Dwight Bennett Newton (as Clement Hardin) The Ruthless Breed (1966)
  • G-585 SF John W. Campbell The Planeteers / The Ultimate Weapon (1966)
  • G-587 WE Lee Hoffman Gunfight At Laramie / Brian Garfield (as Frank Wynne) The Wolf Pack
  • G-588 SF Lin Carter The Star Magicians / John Baxter The Off-Worlders (1966)
  • G-591 WE Dan J. Stevens Stage To Durango / Tom West Hangrope Heritage (1966)
  • G-592 SF John Rackham The Beasts of Kohl / John Brunner A Planet Of Your Own (1966)
  • G-596 WE Reese Sullivan The Demanding Land / John Callahan Hackett's Feud (1966)
  • G-597 SF Ursula K. Le Guin Planet of Exile / Thomas M. Disch Mankind Under the Leash (1966)
  • G-601 WE John L. Shelley The Return Of Bullet Benton / Ray Hogan The Hellsfire Lawman (1966)
  • G-602 SF Howard L. Cory The Mind Monsters / Philip K. Dick The Unteleported Man (1966)
  • G-606 SF John Rackham Time to Live / Lin Carter The Man Without a Planet (1966)
  • G-607 WE Merle Constiner Rain Of Fire / Tom West Bitter Brand (1966)
  • G-609 SF Philip E. High Reality Forbidden / A. Bertram Chandler Contraband From Otherspace (1967)
  • G-610 WE John L. Shelley The Siege At Gunhammer / Frank Wynee The Lusty Breed (1967)
  • G-614 SF Walt Richmond & Leigh Richmond Shock Wave / Frederick L. Shaw, Jr. Envoy to the Dog Star (1967)
  • G-615 WE Ray Hogan Legacy Of The Slash M / William Vance Tracker (1967)
  • G-618 SF Emil Petaja The Stolen Sun / H. Warner Munn The Ship From Atlantis (1967)
  • G-619 WE Barry Cord Gallows Ghost / Stephen Payne Room To Swing A Loop
  • G-622 WE Tom West Showdown At Serano / Dwight Bennett Newton (as Clement Hardin) The Paxman Feud (1967)
  • G-623 SF Philip E. High These Savage Futurians / John Rackham The Double Invaders (1967)
  • G-632 SF A. Bertram Chandler Nebula Alert / Mack Reynolds The Rival Rigelians (1967)
  • G-633 WE Wayne C. Lee Return To Gunpoint / Dan J. Stevens The Killers From Owl Creek
  • G-638 WE Edwin Booth A Time To Shoot / Merle Constiner The Action At Redstone Creek
  • G-642 WE Louis Trimble Standoff At Massacre Buttes / Kyle Hollingshead Echo Of A Texas Rifle (1967)
  • G-648 WE William Vance The Raid At Crazyhorse / Tom West Crossfire At Barbed M (1967)
  • G-659 WE Dwight Bennett Newton (as Clement Hardin) The Oxbow Deed / John Callahan Kincaid (1967)
  • G-668 WE Brian Garfield (as Brian Wynne) A Badge For A Badman / Ray Hogan Devil's Butte (1967)
  • G-674 WE William Vance No Man's Brand / Merle Constiner Two Pistols South Of Deadwood (1967)
  • G-682 WE John Callahan Ride For Vengeance / Tom West Bandit Brand
  • G-687 WE Dan J. Stevens Stranger In Rampart / Eric Allen The Hanging At Whiskey Smith
  • G-698 WE Ray Hogan Trouble At Tenkiller / Kyle Hollingshead The Franklin Raid (1968)
  • G-705 WE Barry Cord The Long Wire / Merle Constiner Killers' Corral (1968)
  • G-710 WE Tom West The Face Behind The Mask / Louis Trimble Marshall Of Sangaree (1968)
  • G-721 WE Don P. Jenison The Silver Concho / Lee Hoffman Dead Man's Gold (1968)
  • G-723 SF Andre Norton Star Hunter / Voodoo Planet (1968)
  • G-727 WE John Callahan Tracks Of The Hunter / Clay Ringold Return To Rio Fuego (1968)
  • G-732 WE Reese Sullivan The Trouble Borrower / Dwight Bennett Newton (as Clement Hardin) Ambush Reckoning (1968)
  • G-742 WE Tom West Write His Name In Gunsmoke / Dean Owens Lone Star Roundup (1968)
  • G-747 WE Ray Hogan Killer On The Warbucket / Dean Owen Sage Tower (1968)
  • G-755 WE Wayne C. Lee Trail Of The Skulls / Merle Constiner The Four From Gila Bend (1968)
  • G-760 WE Reese Sullivan The Vengeance Ghost / X.X. Jones Bronc (1968)
  • G-764 WE Louis Trimble West To The Pecos / John Callahan Jernigan Jernigan (1968)

H Series

Numbered series

References

  • Ace Image Library. Contains images of most covers for the doubles in all genres, as well as many of the single titles.
  • Bookscans. Contains numerous images of the Ace covers.
  • Corrick, James A. Double Your Pleasure: The Ace SF Double, Gryphon Books, 1989. ISBN 0-936071-13-3. A historical article, followed by a checklist of the SF Doubles, giving prior publication history for the contents of each one.
  • Thiessen, J. Grant Science Fiction Collector #1, Pandora's Books, 1976. Includes Ace Double checklist.
  • Thiessen, J. Grant Science Fiction Collector #2, Pandora's Books, date unknown. Includes errata for checklist in #1.
  • Tuck, Donald H. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Volume 3, Advent: Publishers, Inc., 1982. ISBN 0-911682-26-0. Lists all ACE sf titles, single and double, published through 1968.

The following references have not been reviewed:

  • Jaffery, Sheldon Double Trouble: A Bibliographic Chronicle of Ace Mystery Doubles, Starmont Popular Culture Series no. 11, Borgo Press, 1987. ISBN 1-55742-118-8.
  • Jaffery, Sheldon Double Futures: An Annotated Bibliography of the Ace Science Fiction Doubles, Borgo Press, 1999. ISBN 1-55742-139-0.
  • Peters, Harold R. Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror in the Ace Letter-Series Editions: A Collector's Notebook, Silver Sun Press, 1996.
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