How Judy-Lynn del Rey shaped science fiction as we know it today | Short Documentary | RENEGADES

[@lachimusic]

Such an honor working on this episode, celebrating a badass woman with dwarfism who killed it in sci-fi and fantasy, making them the powerhouse innovative genres of possibilities they are today!

[@curtphillips9151]

I realize that Judy-Lyn's dwarfism was a central focus of this segment, but it's worth noting that in the SF world, people who met her generally didn't even notice her dwarfism. Her personality really was *that* big and *that* all encompassing. If that sounds unlikely, then you never met Judy-Lyn Del Rey.

[@whatismusicanyway]

@@curtphillips9151 I think the point is that no one noticed or even considered her dwarfism a thing, and that now the disability community wants to celebrate it

[@whatismusicanyway]

@@curtphillips9151 I think the point is that no one noticed or even considered her dwarfism as a thing, and that now the disability community wants to celebrate it

[@whatismusicanyway]

@@curtphillips9151 The disability community wants to celebrate that Judy was a woman with dwarfism, to help destigmatize.

[@whatismusicanyway]

Glad that the disability community wants to celebrate that Judy was a woman with dwarfism, to help destigmatize.

[@macsnafu]

This was clearly overdue. Even as a science fiction fan, I knew so little about Judy-Lynn del Rey.

[@trekon2023]

Same here. I thought I knew a great deal about Star Trek, then I saw this. But I've never been much for reading outside of canon.

[@StonedustandStardust]

Thank you. I've been a fan of sci-fi and fantasy as far back as I can remember. I didn't know Judy Lynn's story ❤

[@hive_indicator318]

I had no idea it was HER imprint! Never even occurred to me as a teen in the 90s that Lester wasn't the one in charge. Judy-Lynn shaped my love for reading, and I didn't even know she existed. For someone who only graced our world for 43 years, she made a monumental impact.

[@denisesudell2538]

It never occurred to me until I watched this video! I'm embarrassed by my internalized sexism.

[@tomhalla426]

I am older (68), and I recognized Lester Del Rey’s name, and thought a middling writer was a good editor.

[@IllisiaAdams]

She died at 43? Well, that's heartbreaking :-( Such a talent! Gone too soon...

[@danielomalley4394]

Thanks, I always thought it was Lester’s imprint! My assumption was incorrect, but I am saved by John Carter of Mars who lives on my bookshelf thanks to Judy-Lynn!

[@bunjijumper5345]

@@denisesudell2538 your internalized sexism. lol.

[@Sabalon]

Had so many Del Rey books growing up, but never really thought that it was someone's name behind them.

[@PFNel]

I assumed that the imprint had something to do with Lester del Rey, a noted SF author of many decades ago. I was right, but also wrong - the Del Rey of the publishing imprint was Judy-Lynn, not her husband Lester! Her maiden last name was Benjamin.

[@rtsgod]

@@PFNel they were the power couple in book publishing/editing!

[@drillerdev4624]

Same here. Especially since in spanish, "del Rey" means "King's", and is a common toponym. ("Pinares del Rey", for example, means "King's pines")

[@bjdefilippo447]

Same! They definitely shaped my future.

[@themasterjinn]

I can't possibly count how many Del Rey books I have owned and read over the years.

[@hilarymoonmurphy]

I read Del Rey books throughout my childhood, but never knew about this amazing woman. Thank you!

[@DonHillman-r5g]

If you were a fan of fantasy or science fiction of the 1970s and 1980s, you KNEW that Judy-Lynn was a powerhouse in the field. She and Lester helped to establish the modern science fiction and fantasy field and made Terry Brooks into a bestselling author. I have been waiting years (decades) for a good biography or documentary film about Judy-Lynn. There are articles about and interviews with her in the large and small press magazines from the 1970s and 80s, and anecdotes from interviews with Brooks and others, but none of them fully do the justice that your video does to tell the story of this incredible and impactful figure and her success and legacy in the field. Thank You!!!

[@LoveIsEverything2468]

Del Ray books shaped my youth, and I had never heard of Judy Lynn. I didn't know she existed. THANK YOU for this!!

[@ReflexVE]

Same! Great subject for this video!

[@heatherpool4821]

Wow! I learned so much! What an inspiring human! I loved Lois McMaster’s line, “disability depends in part on your environment and how well it fits you, whether it is made to fit you or whether it is not made to fit you.”

[@perfectallycromulent]

That part can be very small. My disability is severe chronic pain in my large intestine. Unless the environment is a bed, it doesn't fit me well. And even then, the pain is still there, and it still hurts. There is no environment that can fit some disabilities.

[@pedallovecommunications]

What a great segment! An absolutely delightful host, so dynamic. I'm 60 years old. I was mad for del rey books but had never heard of this talented groundbreaking editor. Wow. Thank you!

[@R.M.MacFru]

Same, and I am still wondering why I hadn't. I'd certainly heard of Lester, and still have some books he edited, but nothing about her.

[@evansquilt]

I've been in fandom since the 70s, and I am grateful beyond measure for a film that goes to a convention and says "this is great, this is inclusive, this is diverse, how wonderful" instead of "look at the weirdos, let's all laugh." Ditto seeing Judy-Lynn Del Rey getting her due. She was one of the most important editors in the field, right up there with Campbell and Pohl and Ellison, and her death came decades too soon. Well done.

[@rtsgod]

I've been to a few conventions and it is such a loving community

[@sevenstars004]

My Mom and I are watching this together, 1:19 we both say at the same time, "hey, I read all of those!" lol I've been a SciFi fan for my whole life. When I was 7, I read "Inferno" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle for the first time (I started reading children's books on my own when I was 2 and always read "above my age level"). Science fiction has had such an influence on me from a very young age. I'm sure this played more than a small part in me growing up to become physicist and mathematician. I've always believed that one of the best things a parent can do for their child is to get them to love reading. Thanks Mom ❤️

[@CapTexamerica]

I've been grinding though Del Rey books most of my life...and this story brings so much more - coolness - to my book collection. The authors I wanted to read were in Ballantine and Del Rey books, and now I know why. Thank you Judy.

[@Jay-ql4gp]

Yes! When you picked up a Del Rey book, you _KNEW_ it was something you wanted to read. You knew there would be something in it, that captured your heart. Thank you, Judy-Lynn, for providing a place of solace in my troubled youth. I will treasure it always. ❤

[@jukker95]

This is why I love YT, grew up reading sci_fi heard of lester del rey, but knew nothing about Judy then this pops up in my feed and I learn about an influential player in a genre that helped shape my life. Grateful to be alive at this time.

[@macsarcule]

WOW. I grew up in the 70s and 80s reading (and rereading) loads of Del Rey sci fi. I always assumed it was a huge publishing conglomerate, the kind that takes the first part of two founders’ last names to make a name like Del Rey, and never gave it a second thought. To find out it was a real name, of a real human, and an AMAZING HUMAN WHO CARED SO MUCH ABOUT HER WORK!?? This 53 year old is in tears of gratefulness for everything Judy did to make amazing stories available that were an enormous part of my young life and shaped who I am today! I am gobsmacked by this story about heart and love and goodness that was so much or than some faceless corporation feeding me books - Judy del Rey didn’t feed me books, she curated and encouraged the authors who were so much a part of my world. I wouldn’t be the me I am now without what she did. 💜💜💜

[@connorcochran836]

When I was 13 years old I was an avid reader of GALAXY and WORLDS OF IF. Fred Pohl was the editor of these SF magazines, but Judy-Lynn del Rey (at that point still Judy-Lynn Benjamin) was the managing editor who did all the grunt work and kept the magazines afloat. I drew a lot, and thought I was better than many of the artists the magazines normally published, so I sent a bunch of my artwork in to Pohl, along with a cover letter dripping with junior high school arrogance/overconfidence. A few weeks later my samples came back along with a letter from Judy-Lynn that utterly and completely eviscerated me for that arrogance, and bluntly told me that my work wasn't anywhere near as good as I thought it was. It wasn't a long letter, but in its brevity it was uncompromisingly brutal....and true...and exactly what I needed to hear. Rather than make allowances for my age, Judy-Lynn treated me exactly as she would have treated any adult professional artist who came knocking on her door with that portfolio and attitude. Lesson learned -- I doubled and tripled down and really worked on developing my creativity and technique...and six years later, when I moved to NYC at 19 to start freelancing, my first regular work as an artist was at GALAXY and WORLDS OF IF. Judy-Lynn's fierce honesty was a critical part of my creative and personal development. I was grateful to her then, and fifty years later I'm still grateful. Thank you for making this video. She was a crucial figure in the field and deserves tons of recognition.

[@Briekout]

I'm ashamed that I didn't know this as a lover of sci fi books. I'd always lazily associated Del-rey publishing with Lester Del Rey. This is neat.

[@editcreative01]

Del Ray was SO important to me as a young man in the late '70s & early '80s. I had not idea about Judy-Lynn. Thanks so much for making this!

[@esean1]

I knew her name but was unfamiliar with how significant and important she is to SF literature. Amazing person!

[@danceswithdirt7197]

One of the coolest editors ever. I had so many Del Rey books as a kid. RIP.

[@Beryllahawk]

This was wonderful!!! I'm a little bit ashamed that I didn't know very much about Judy-Lynn. Her power and her charisma was such that no one EVER mentioned anything about her physical presence... I knew she was the incredible driving force behind Del Rey Books and I knew that almost every author that worked with her simply adored her. And in a way I adored her too, because her effort brought me just about every novel I loved. I started reading sci-fi and fantasy in the mid-80s, and almost instantly I was hooked - Anne McCaffrey was my first favorite author. I have beautiful memories of going into a used bookstore and sort of drifting through a sea of yellow spines - because quite a lot of the Del Rey paperbacks from the 70s had yellow spines. I can still recall vividly the original cover art for Tanith Lee's "Don't Bite the Sun" and "Drinking Sapphire Wine," and my mother still owns her Del Rey paperback copy of "The White Dragon" with that gorgeous art on the cover. I literally hollered out loud in excitement to see Lois McMaster Bujold in this as well!!! Another of my very favorite authors, and Miles is SUCH a delight. I never miss a chance to tell people to go meet him in those books. He's incredible, not least because as she says he isn't "one note." It was from Miles that I learned that parents don't have to be harsh. It was from Miles that I learned how to use my BRAIN to win when my body wasn't up to the challenge. I don't have disabilities mind you: but Miles never once really thought of himself as having disabilities either. He knew what his body could do, he knew what he risked by trying to do things the same way as the brawny types all around him: and he won anyway, on his own terms, in his own way. He never once went into a fight HOPING to win: he PLANNED to win, and anything less just wasn't an option. That alone was such a revelation for me as a timid, abused kid with a huge imagination and none of the tools to really go DO any of the things I dreamed about back then. I'd tried and failed so many times, that failure was my assumption. Miles taught me better.

[@AlexanderOsias]

Her impact on my youth is incalculable. Thanks for this.

[@smoofsmithly]

I think I must still have 300 DelRay books. I read many hundreds of them throughout my teens, and I really owe quite a bit to this wonderful woman. This is a great example, unfortunately, of the times (the 80s) where a strong woman who happens also to be a dwarf is not celebrated in the mainstream, nobody knows about her (I certainly didn't), but she single-handedly changes the culture in a good way through her efforts.

[@fritzellington2611]

holy cow i never knew about her before, she was amazing!

[@bhorza]

Thank you. What a lovely find to come across my feed. I read / had so many Del Rey books...cherished books...sadly, I don't think I knew about Judy back then, I just had the books and love for them. So an amazing treat to learn all of this. An amazing and wonderful woman who happened to have dwarfism, but was truly a giant in literature and impact on so many lives.

[@ruthkirkparick3535]

The cover art has always been what draws me. Any Asimov book, "The White Dragon" and very other Ann McCaffrey (my all-time favourite author), the "Thomas Covenant" series, the list is very long and not done yet. I'm 71. Ballantine and Del Ray are on the cover of most of my favourite books. Now I know why.

[@Exiled.New.Yorker]

Michael Whelhan was the Artist Guest of Honor my first con. He's amazing.

[@AuntyProton]

I've been involved with sci-fi fandom for 40 years, I'm a sci-fi writer, and I'm autistic. Fandom is my home and I want no other.

[@M.Campbell]

Artists and illustrators owe her an awful lot as well. She gave several of the greats their start.

[@marygallagher3428]

Wonderful documentary. So glad to learn about Judy-Lynn Benjamin Del Rey's achievements!

[@robynrussell679]

Wow! I read a lot of Del Ray books over the years, but never realized that a woman lead the line. Thanks for this documentary!

[@katherinenoggle6407]

I wish i had known the person responsible for filling my life with hours and hours of wonder was a woman and a little person. What a fantastic woman she was - thank you Judy!!!

[@Becvar80]

I never knew who was behind Del Rey books, but as a child in the 80s, I DEVOURED Ballentine and Del Rey books. I owe my love of sci-fi and fantasy to Mrs del Rey.

[@mycointhetrees]

we love you forever judy! thanks for shaping all of us!!

[@rebeltuba9422]

Judy-Lynn may have been a dwarf, but people in science fiction and fantasy recognized her as a giant in the field during her life. She was fortunate for that when so many others are only recognized posthumously. It was fun to see a lot of book covers that are sitting on my bookshelves now.

[@miggle1875]

Thanks for this, glad it popped up. I love these short documentaries, to the point and educational. She seemed like a smart lady and had the great foresight to get star wars books out there!

[@sd3693]

That quote about "12-15 year olds" was when I was 15! So much of my library when I was in my tweens and teens was from Del Rey, including all the ones featured in this video.

[@p5gBand]

What a great story. Someone who not only gets that people DO judge books by their coverrs, but helped me pick up so many sci-fi books as a young person (mamy many years ago) based on the Del Rey books. Actually, Del Rey, was a name I looked for when I looked for sci-fi books.

[@rahulshah1408]

I had no idea that Del Ray was a dwarf till this. In my opinion, this is how it should be. Her works speak for themselves. Inspiring.

[@williamsanders2439]

Definitely owe a great deal of gratitude to Ms Del Rey...spent much of my early youth reading sci-fi, and many of those books had the Del Rey brand, meaning you KNEW that they were good!

[@MichaelSnipes]

We owe so much to her as readers. I bought so many books she published. 🙂

[@theunwantedcritic]

I’m a casual Science Fiction fan. Mostly because I’m an avid reader of comic books. I also am a huge fan of comic book, art and illustration of all types. I can’t believe that. I never heard of this woman. Thank you American Masters.

[@BadgerRobot]

I can honestly say that the books she put out literally changed my life.

[@thecrye6798]

DelRey Books have been the pinnacle of Science Fiction for my entire lifetime and never knew about Judy-Lynn. What an amazing person! I'll be spreading the word.

[@kimhealy1446]

I have no words. I had no idea SO MANY epics that accompanied me into adulthood were the fruits of one woman's impresarioship. This is a thurible and I am swinging it at her, her authors (Ms. Bujold and Mr. Donaldson most especially), and you, Lachi, for bringing together all these venerable Tellers of the _Haruchai_ for this tribute.

[@randallphobia8698]

I can see at least 10 Del Rey books from where I’m now sitting. As a teen I was typically reading 3 books at once, & most of them were published by The Galaxy Gal.

[@loftus4453]

Wonderful documentary! I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s and was a huge sci-fi fan. Bought many Del Rey books but never knew the story behind the publisher. What a fantastic story. Loved it! ❤

[@terriellis3697]

I had to pause on the still that was the array of DelRay book. I've read most all of them, and still have an entire shelf on by bookshelf of just these books. What a great profile.

[@tychomagneticanomaly]

Thank you so much! The perfect age of sci-fi is 12, but with Judy-Lynn it goes on forever.

[@rafaela00002]

great video!! wish it was longer!

[@rtsgod]

me too!

[@LenaMellow]

Epic life. Thank you for this video!

[@bigbaddwolf90]

One of the many great stories I'd never heard of. Thank you for sharing!

[@kirstencorby8465]

I know that name well. Didn't know she was a little person. Thanks for sharing. Women in sci fi!

[@rajo741]

I had no idea and I was a consumer of Del Rey back then. Excellent work and overdue.

[@waltervargas57]

this is truly a wonderfully made video

[@Sacto1654]

I also think that Judy-Lynn del Rey also applied the lessons learned from Ballantine Books when Ballantine got the _legal_ rights to the _Lord of the Rings_ novel trilogy (Del Rey worked at Ballentine for some time).

[@truerthanyouknow9456]

I'm in tears. Thank you for sharing this work.

[@BrettJohnson-n1v]

I lived for Del Rey books for over a decade as a pre-teen/teen. Thank god for Del Rey and my local independent bookseller. I wish I had made an effort to meet her.

[@contrafax]

Thank you, her work inadvertently kept me alive. Science Fiction and Fantasy helped me escape the pain of being me

[@jeffnettleton3858]

Nice work on many levels, but, as someone who spent 20 years as a bookseller and a lifetime reading sci-fi/fantasy and adventure, it was doubly special.

[@kenmacleod7225]

This was really nice to see. I've been reading science fiction for nearly 60 years and it sure sounds like Judy-Lynn del Ray had a lot to do with many of the best books I've ever read. Thanks!

[@andrewfischer8564]

i never heard of thei woman. i am of the 70 early 80's I HAVE READ SO MANY OF THESE BOOKS.... OMG!

[@ikeekieeki]

awesome informative video, thanks

[@AM-lh7rw]

Del Rey books👍🤗. I remember just walking into Forbidden Planet (a fantasy, sci-fy, flim memorabilia etc shop in central London, UK) and thinking this is my kinda a place😊. I had seen her and her husbands names, but had no idea just how important she was and is still relevant to today.

[@kimlindseyOH]

Thank you for this segment! I've read so many Del Rey books through the decades but I didn't realize that the imprint was anyone's name - I wish that information had been somewhere on the back cover or copyright page or etc. Before the internet, this kind of information wasn't so easy to come by unless you were in a big city or went to big conventions. Judy-Lynn del-Rey changed not only publishing but our whole society! And Lachi is a wonderful guide through these stories!

[@Pippi-Longstocking]

Today I learned…. Thank you for this episode.

[@vilstef6988]

Judy-Lynn was simply brilliant!

[@ButchWilson]

Thank you, for this.

[@manifesteraddams8068]

well, now I know who to thank for introducing me to Tanith Lee! Thank you Judy-Lynn

[@hartzogLovesScience]

Loved the White Dragon. I probable have several books on my shelf fromDel Ray.

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

@6:19 "I really admire that strength of character that allows you to engage in behaviors that the rest of the world would think were strange, and not be in any way undermined by it." Same. Those are my people right there!! ❤

[@wesleyrodgers886]

Many thanks for the info. Seen her name many times in 50+ years of reading sf.

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

This was awesome.

[@OddWomanOut_Pi81]

Well, look @ me over here learning new s~~t! 😄 This was amazing! Never knew about this lady.

[@nmatheis]

I love sci-fi but didn't know this story. Thanks for teaching me about this incredible woman who's enriched so many lives!

[@stephenhill4492]

Great to see the face behind the imprint I loved.

[@yermatedave4930]

I loved Del Rey sf novels, a goodly proportion of my personal library are Del Rey books and I never knew thing one about Judy Lynn Del Rey. Thank you for the education

[@rahulshah1408]

Robotech was published under Del Ray books. I remember that.

[@nicklang6798]

I remember seeing the logo on a lot of Star Wars books

[@NatPix]

My mom loved sci-fi/fantasy. Del Rey books were very present throughout my life. I recently started the 2nd Dragonriders of Pern book, a book I inherited from my mom. It’ll be the 18th anniversary of her death in just a few days. She would have loved seeing this piece on Judy-Lynn del Rey.

[@MsLeenite]

Neat, sweet, fun and informative. Thank you!

[@rtsgod]

fantastic documentary!

[@sherrirabinowitz4618]

This is truly fascinating, I am going to go through my collection of Science Fiction books and see which are hers.

[@57hound]

Always assumed “DelRay” of DelRay books was Lester-wow! So glad to finally know the real story.

[@mosselyn5081]

My bookshelves contain many Del Rey titles to this day. I never knew anything about the people behind the imprint. Thank you!

[@Wayouts123]

This great woman, great human was so important to my early years

[@jamistardust5181]

I have loved Del Rey books. I own most of the books that were shown. I love this story.

[@bhharrison]

So cool!!

[@sciencefictionreads]

Awesome! I knew of her, but not of her importance and influence in the genre. This was great.

[@corpusD]

I have to admit that I would trust the Del Ray books and their description text more than any of the others. I certainly bought more of them than any other publisher. Of the group picture of books. I have or had 31 of them.

[@morgansidhe3543]

The Del Ray imprint was a mainstay on my shelf; I bought the female authors coming from the Marion Zimmer Bradley stables. There were many of them that are still held in public library collections so you can read for free.

[@stevelyons1962]

Hey @American Masters PBS, this a great video but why didn't you enable the audio description track? This is such a great hidden story that the disability community will love to know about but without the audio description those who live with blindness and low vision will miss parts of it.

[@americanmasters]

Hi! We have a version of the video available with extended audio description and large open captions here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5vSp5RjnLx5ibssi=dWSR3MCWvNFp3gUt

[@nancywysemen7196]

great story and life success.

[@lisajahn6839]

Thank you! 🎉❤😊

[@dennismitchell5276]

Oh, that Del Rey! I never knew she was an individual.

[@TheLonesomeBricoleur]

WHOA I had no idea that Del Rey had such a cool, *cool* story. All I've ever known is how very, very many of the sci-fi books I liked had that little square logo on the spine

[@davidmackie3497]

I had no idea del Rey was a person! Thanks.

[@deepashtray5605]

She got me hooked. A classic in her own right.

[@artgirltexas]

Soooo many of my favors books have DEL REY on the spine. ❤ 📚

[@patricktilton5377]

Asimov's FOUNDATION character -- known as "The Mule" -- must've been a favorite of hers, a character who almost toppled the plans of the Foundation to create a 2nd galactic empire out of the ashes of the 1st one, despite having traits that made him seem -- SEEM -- diminished in the eyes of others. I had absolutely no idea that she manifested Dwarfism -- I don't want to say she 'suffered' from it, or was 'afflicted' with it, though I've no doubt that it is challenging for her and those like her -- and it is ironic, in a way, that she became a true GIANT in sci-fi circles. It would be interesting to see a movie made -- perhaps a zany Mystery of sorts -- set at a sci-fi convention back in the day when she and the luminaries of the genre (like Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury, Clarke, et al.) could have been guests of honor, with the personalities of all the 'greats' being showcased. It could include characters representing Lucas and Spielberg from BEFORE they became huge players in SF cinema, when they were just nerdy fans of the SF&F genres. Somebody ought to get on that, pronto . . .

[@SirWilliamKidney]

Thank you so much for the video!