Donald A. Wollheim
An editor whose taste shaped the paperback science-fiction shelf for half a century.
Donald A. Wollheim was one of the most influential figures in the history of science-fiction publishing — an editor, anthologist, fan, and author whose decisions did as much to shape the genre's commercial life as almost anyone's. He edited the SF line at Ace Books, where the famous Ace Doubles introduced countless readers to new writers, and later founded DAW Books, the first mass-market house devoted entirely to science fiction and fantasy.
He discovered and championed major talents, assembled landmark anthologies, and as a writer produced his own fiction, including the young-adult Mike Mars space-adventure series. His fingerprints are on the careers of an enormous number of beloved authors.
Expect, in his own writing, brisk and accessible classic adventure — but his towering importance is as the tastemaker who put so much great SF into readers' hands. Wollheim is a name every serious fan should know: the editor whose vision helped build the modern genre, one paperback at a time.
- For readers interested in SF history
- Accessible classic space adventure
- A foundational editorial tastemaker
