Avalon Books

Avalon Books
Status Defunct
Founded 1950
Successor Amazon Publishing
Country of origin United States
Headquarters location New York
Official website http://avalonbooks.com

Avalon Books was a small New York-based book publishing imprint active from 1950 through 2012, established by Thomas Bouregy.[1] Avalon was an important science fiction imprint in the 1950s and 60s; later its specialty was mystery and romance books.[2] The imprint was owned by Thomas Bouregy & Co., Inc..[1] It remained a family firm, with Thomas's daughter Ellen Bouregy Mickelsen taking over as publisher in 1995.[2]

On June 4, 2012 it was announced that Amazon.com had purchased the imprint and its back-list of about 3,000 titles. Amazon said it would publish the books through the various imprints of Amazon Publishing.[2]

Science fiction era

In the 1950s and 60s Avalon specialized in science fiction.[3] It issued much of the hardcover material in the genre during the period, particularly in the earlier portion. Avalon issued new titles, reissued out of print titles originally from other publishers, and first editions of material that had previously only seen magazine publication. Frederik Pohl jibed in 1959 that the publisher "seems to be pursuing a policy of printing the worst books by the best writers in science fiction".[4] Its books featured cover art by Ric Binkley, Ed Emshwiller (also known as Emsh), Gray Morrow, and Michael M. Peters. Later, competition with mainstream hardcover and paperback publishers starting their own science fiction lines and the marginal nature of genre publishing in general led to the line being discontinued.

Science fiction authors published by Avalon

Bibliography of Science Fiction books published (by year)

1953 (Bourgey/Curl)
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
  • Planet of Fear (Diane Detzer)
  • Polaris and the Immortals (Charles B. Stilson)
  • The Day the World Stopped (Stanton A. Coblentz)
  • The Return of the Starships (Jorge de Reyna)
  • The Stars Will Wait (Henry L. Hasse)
  • The Time of the Hedrons (Jack Dennis)

Mystery and Romance era

After the discontinuation of its science fiction line, Avalon specialized in mystery and romance books.[2]

Romance Authors published by Avalon Books[5]

References

  1. 1 2 "About Us". Avalon Books. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Julia Bosman (June 4, 2012). "Amazon Buys Avalon Books, Publisher in Romance and Mysteries". New York Times. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  3. ↑ AvalonBooks at ISFDB
  4. ↑ "In the Balance", If, July 1959, p.99
  5. ↑ Avalon Books. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2012-08-28. Avalon Books, 2012.
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