Ballantine Books is an American publishing house founded in 1952 by Ian and Betty Ballantine, who had earlier helped pioneer the mass-market paperback in the United States. The company became known for issuing original paperback editions and for its early embrace of science fiction and fantasy at a time when those genres were often overlooked by mainstream publishers.
Del Rey is the science fiction and fantasy imprint that grew out of Ballantine, established in 1977 and named for its editors Lester del Rey and Judy-Lynn del Rey. Del Rey became one of the most influential genre imprints in publishing, responsible for landmark fantasy and science fiction titles and for helping bring epic fantasy to a mass audience.
Together, Ballantine and Del Rey have published many of the most important names in speculative fiction, including Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. The combined imprint built a reputation for commercial success paired with genre credibility.
Now part of Penguin Random House, Ballantine and Del Rey continue to publish a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, with Del Rey remaining a leading home for science fiction and fantasy. Their backlists include some of the defining works of modern genre literature.