I had not heard that Forrest "Forry" J. Ackerman had died last week. It probably had to do with the fact that I was up to my eyeballs in holidays, medical appointments, and bills, but it isn't like this is the sort of celebrity death mainstream outlets would necessarily make headline news. At any rate, if you do not know who Forrest J. Ackerman is, it is not because he is some great unknown - in fact, if you are a fan of horror, sci-fi, and/or fantasy, he has probably had a larger impact on your life than you are even aware. Ackerman died December 4th of heart failure; he was 92.
Ackerman was a genre enthusiast (and "bon vivant," as Sci-Fi Wire credits) who discovered author, Ray Bradbury. He was most famous for founding the cult magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland, which many icons in the field credit as having spurred their passion for film and the geek genres. An avid collector of related memorabilia, Forry ran the Ackermansion - his home, filled with years' of movie and related keepsakes, some of which he sold or gave away. He moved to a smaller home in 2002. As a literary agent, Ackerman repped such luminaries as the aforementioned Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and more.
He also coined the term, "sci-fi."
Ackerman was born in 1916 and had no children.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
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