Tor Doubles are a series of science fiction books published by Tor Books between 1988 and 1991, mostly in tête-bêche format. The series was inspired by the Ace Doubles, published between 1952 and 1973.
I’ve bought Tor Doubles when I came across them. I’m less enthusiastic about the Tor Doubles than the ACE Doubles. Many of the Tor Doubles feature stories that have been reprinted many times…like Fritz Leiber’s classic, “Ill Met in Lankhmar.” ll Met in Lankhmar was originally published in F&SF in April, 1970. It won the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. But on the plus side, they also include more obscure stories like Charles de Lint’s “The Fair in Main Macha” (1990).
Obviously, “Ill Met in Lakhmar” is a classic sword & sorcery story. It recounts the meeting and teaming-up of Leiber’s adventurous duo, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser make the mistake of messing with the Thieves’ Guild which results in disastrous consequences. GRADE: A
The Fair in Emain Macha was originally published in Space and Time #68 in December, 1985. It was nominated for the Aurora Award. The Fair in Emain Macha de Lint’s fourth story about the life of Colum mac Donal, an outlawed man from Aerin serving King Artor of the Grey Isles.
I prefer de Lint’s Urban Fantasies to this mundane tale of swords and magic. The Fair in Emain Macha is an early de Lint story. His story-telling improved over the years. GRADE: C+
Indeed…the Tor program, much more than the Ace quasi-model, was to have the novella or short novel on the one side sell the other side,
Another writer, like de Lint, who is much better with contemporary fantasy than when wanders toward S&S, is Glen Cook. Particularly in his early work, as well.
Todd, good point. Glen Cook scored Big with his BLACK COMPANY series. But I’m fond of his GARRETT, P.I. series, too.
Though, to be fair, the first story I read by him, in F&SF, March ’78 (my first new issue, and an impressive one) was a fine Jack Vance pastiche short story called “The Seventh Fool”: https://archive.org/details/Fantasy_Science_Fiction_v054n03_1978-03_Lenny_Silv3r/mode/2up
Todd, love “The Seventh Fool”!
Those Tor doubles were nifty. Holy cow, 1988-91, that long ago!? Dell also did a series of two-fers in the late ’70s but not upside-down back-to-back like the Ace model.
Fred, I own a few of the DELL two-fers. If I can find one, I’ll review it for an FFB.
I remember looking for frazetta covers. I also looked for Edward Gorey covers. In July Nancy and I went to Nantucket and around and made a point of going to the Edward Gorey house. I used to have a fabulous collection, but I’m down to my favorites. I remember going to the Gotham book mart, where they had fabulous deals. Gorey was a friend of the owner.
Those were the days when book hunting was exciting and rewarding. Sigh.
I have 2 t shirts with the same Gorey picture, so I’m going to send the museum one. It’s from Dell IIRC.
My avatar in some email IDs (Gravitar? think so) is Gorey’s cover from Henry Mazzeo’s HAUNTINGS, one of the absolutely key anthologies of my youth. I recall being 8yo and reading the library copy I borrowed later into the night than my parents thought I was still awake. (The Gorey illos on the cover, and for the stories collected as illustrations, make up their own story, as I didn’t realize at the time, but Fritz Leiber’s review hipped me to when I read that sometime in the late ’80s (he reviewed the book slightly tardily in FANTASTIC in the ’70s).
In fact, it’s popping up here…so blog-posting, not email@
Todd, Gorey drew plenty of paperback covers and those books were plentiful even a decade ago. No longer…
Maggie, you’re right about the fading days of great book hunting. So few used bookstores now. So few really good books to find. And the prices of rare books have escalated…