Ace Books is an American specialty publisher of
science fiction and
fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by
Aaron A. Wyn and began as a genre publisher of
mysteries and
westerns. It soon branched out into other genres, publishing its first science fiction (sf) title in 1953. This was successful, and science fiction titles outnumbered both mysteries and westerns within a few years. Other genres also made an appearance, including nonfiction,
gothic novels, media
tie-in novelizations, and
romances. Ace became known for the
tête-bêche binding format used for many of its early books, although it did not originate the format. Most of the early titles were published in this "Ace Double" format, and Ace continued to issue books in varied genres, bound
tête-bêche, until 1973.