Roc Books is a fantasy imprint of Penguin Group, as part of its New American Library.

It was launched in April 1990 after Penguin Chairman Peter Mayer asked John Silbersack, the editor in chief of New American Library's science fiction (SF) program, to launch a new imprint that would draw more attention to Penguin's SF presence.

The name Roc Books was chosen as a homage to Penguin's many famous bird-named publishing imprints.

Roc was named after the enormous predatory bird of the Arabian Nights.

[1] The first monthly list at Roc was: Roc was publisher of FASA's game-related Battletech and Shadowrun novels beginning with Shadowrun: The Secrets of Power #2: Choose Your Enemies Carefully by Robert N. Charette in February 1991.