Glossary of terms used in Classic-SF website

tête-bêche

A single volume in which two texts are bound together, with one text rotated 180º relative to the other, such that when one text runs head-to-tail, the other runs tail-to-head. This type of binding is properly termed tête-bêche (from the French meaning "head-to-toe"). Books bound in this way have no back cover, but instead have two front covers and a single spine with two titles. When a reader reaches the end of the text of one of the works, the next page is the (upside-down) final page of the other work.

In the fantasy and science fiction genre, this form of binding was most often used by Ace books for their Ace doubles series.