Judy-Lynn del Rey was born in 1943 with achondroplastic
dwarfism – meaning she had a normal-sized torso and small limbs. She spent her teens
haunting libraries, especially the fantasy and sci-fi sections. In her early 20’s,
she became an office assistant at Galaxy Science Fiction. She quickly worked
her way up to associate editor, and then was hired by Ballantine Books. One of
her first moves was to dump John Norman’s Gor series (She was right. They’re
awful.) She published the Star Wars novel before the movie came out. That same
year, Judy-Lynn launched Del Rey Books. She published Terry Brooks’ Sword of
Shannara, promoted William Goldman’s The Princess Bride, and introduced the
world to Anne McCaffrey's White Dragon. Arthur C. Clarke called her the most
brilliant editor he’d ever encountered. Next time you read fantasy or watch a
Star Wars film, or quote Princess Bride, you’re living in a world she helped to
build.
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