DAW BOOKS

   New York publishing imprint started by Donald A. WOLLHEIM in 1972 (after his departure from ACE BOOKS) with assistance from New American Library. DB (the name derived from Wollheim's initials) publishes only sf and FANTASY, producing 4-5 titles per month. The editorial policy is similar to that followed by Wollheim at Ace: mostly adventure fiction, with a sprinkling of serious works. There has been much series fiction, particularly fantasy and SWORD AND SORCERY, by such authors as Alan Burt Akers (Kenneth BULMER), Marion Zimmer BRADLEY, Lin CARTER, Michael MOORCOCK, John NORMAN and E.C. TUBB, many of whom had followed Wollheim from ACE BOOKS. Major discoveries were C.J. CHERRYH and the fantasy writer Tad Williams (1957-), and DB also did much to promote the career of Tanith LEE. An anthology series was Annual World's Best SF (WOLLHEIM for details). Wollheim's daughter Betsy Wollheim became president in 1985, when her father was seriously ill; by the time of his death in 1990 the number of books published annually by DB was rather lower than it had been early in the 1980s.

   PN/MJE

   Further reading: Future and Fantastic Worlds: A Bibliographic Retrospective of DAW Books (1972-1987) (dated 1987 but 1988) by Sheldon JAFFERY; An Index to DAW Books (1989 chap) by Ian Covell.