I just received this note today from SFcrowsnest.com Magazine, courtesy of Facebook:
I actually met Ackerman a few times way back when. He will be missed.
I actually met Ackerman a few times way back when. He will be missed.
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Remembering Forrest J Ackerman
- Thread starter Gene Steinberg
- Start date
Free episodes:
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Gil Bavel
Guest
R.I.P. Forry Ackerman
Forrest J. Ackerman, the sometime actor, literary agent, magazine editor and full-time bon vivant who discovered author Ray Bradbury and was widely credited with coining the term "sci-fi," has died, the Associated Press reported. He was 92.
Ackerman died Dec. 4 of heart failure at his Los Angeles home, Kevin Burns, head of Prometheus Entertainment and a trustee of Ackerman's estate, told the AP.
Ackerman was legendary in science fiction circles as the founding editor of the pulp magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. He was also the owner of a huge private collection of science fiction movie and literary memorabilia that for years filled every nook and cranny of a hillside mansion overlooking Los Angeles, nicknamed the "Ackermansion."
Every Saturday morning that he was home, Ackerman would open up the house to anyone who wanted to view his treasures; everyone knew him as "Forry." He sold some pieces and gave away others when he moved to a smaller house in 2002, but he continued to let people visit him every Saturday for as long as his health permitted.
This story continues below the image.
Forrest J. Ackerman in his memorabilia-crammed "Ackermansion" home in Los Angeles in 1990. (Alan Light)
Ackerman's collection once included more than 50,000 books, thousands of science fiction magazines and such items as Bela Lugosi's cape from the 1931 film Dracula.
His greatest achievement, however, was likely discovering Bradbury, author of the literary classics Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles. Ackerman had placed a flyer in a Los Angeles bookstore for a science fiction club he was founding, and a teenage Bradbury showed up.
Later, Ackerman gave Bradbury the money to start his own science fiction magazine, Futuria Fantasia, and paid the author's way to New York for an authors' meeting that Bradbury said helped launch his career.
As a literary agent, Ackerman represented Bradbury, Isaac Asimov and numerous other science fiction writers.
He said the term "sci-fi" came to him in 1954 when he was listening to a car radio and heard an announcer mention the word "hi-fi."
Forrest James Ackerman was born in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 1916. He fell in love with science fiction, he once said, when he was 9 years old and saw a magazine called Amazing Stories. He would hold onto that publication for the rest of his life. Ackerman, who had no children, was preceded in death by his wife, Wendayne.
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Below: Forry and me at the "Project 1951" film festival in Independence, MO. He is getting ready to sign my laserdisc of "Frankenstein", to which he contributed archival footage.
Forrest J. Ackerman, the sometime actor, literary agent, magazine editor and full-time bon vivant who discovered author Ray Bradbury and was widely credited with coining the term "sci-fi," has died, the Associated Press reported. He was 92.
Ackerman died Dec. 4 of heart failure at his Los Angeles home, Kevin Burns, head of Prometheus Entertainment and a trustee of Ackerman's estate, told the AP.
Ackerman was legendary in science fiction circles as the founding editor of the pulp magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. He was also the owner of a huge private collection of science fiction movie and literary memorabilia that for years filled every nook and cranny of a hillside mansion overlooking Los Angeles, nicknamed the "Ackermansion."
Every Saturday morning that he was home, Ackerman would open up the house to anyone who wanted to view his treasures; everyone knew him as "Forry." He sold some pieces and gave away others when he moved to a smaller house in 2002, but he continued to let people visit him every Saturday for as long as his health permitted.
This story continues below the image.
Forrest J. Ackerman in his memorabilia-crammed "Ackermansion" home in Los Angeles in 1990. (Alan Light)
Ackerman's collection once included more than 50,000 books, thousands of science fiction magazines and such items as Bela Lugosi's cape from the 1931 film Dracula.
His greatest achievement, however, was likely discovering Bradbury, author of the literary classics Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles. Ackerman had placed a flyer in a Los Angeles bookstore for a science fiction club he was founding, and a teenage Bradbury showed up.
Later, Ackerman gave Bradbury the money to start his own science fiction magazine, Futuria Fantasia, and paid the author's way to New York for an authors' meeting that Bradbury said helped launch his career.
As a literary agent, Ackerman represented Bradbury, Isaac Asimov and numerous other science fiction writers.
He said the term "sci-fi" came to him in 1954 when he was listening to a car radio and heard an announcer mention the word "hi-fi."
Forrest James Ackerman was born in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 1916. He fell in love with science fiction, he once said, when he was 9 years old and saw a magazine called Amazing Stories. He would hold onto that publication for the rest of his life. Ackerman, who had no children, was preceded in death by his wife, Wendayne.
___________________________________
Below: Forry and me at the "Project 1951" film festival in Independence, MO. He is getting ready to sign my laserdisc of "Frankenstein", to which he contributed archival footage.
Attachments
David Biedny
Paranormal Adept
R.I.P. Forry Ackerman
Gil, that is a fantastic post, and a great picture of the two of you.
Forry was a hero of mine, and I'm torn up over his death.
dB
Gil, that is a fantastic post, and a great picture of the two of you.
Forry was a hero of mine, and I'm torn up over his death.
dB
Aaron LeClair
Paranormal Maven
I tried to merge the threads but got this, "
You have not specified a valid URL for the thread that you want to merge. Please check that the URL includes a valid threadid, "t=xxx" or postid, "p=xxx" (where xxx is a number), and is not a redirect."
You have not specified a valid URL for the thread that you want to merge. Please check that the URL includes a valid threadid, "t=xxx" or postid, "p=xxx" (where xxx is a number), and is not a redirect."
G
Gil Bavel
Guest
R.I.P. Forry Ackerman
He was the original "fan", and had the first "fanzine"... Famous Monsters of Filmland...
He was a magnanimous, fun, happy guy in person, and very generous with his time. He affected science fiction in ways that most people will never know.
He will be missed.
He was the original "fan", and had the first "fanzine"... Famous Monsters of Filmland...
He was a magnanimous, fun, happy guy in person, and very generous with his time. He affected science fiction in ways that most people will never know.
He will be missed.
G
Gil Bavel
Guest
Well, in Gene's defense, I posted it where I happened to be at the time I heard about it--which was in the wrong thread... unless Forry happened to be a contactee and never told anybody about it...
To merge, you have to move the two threads into the same forum.
G
Gil Bavel
Guest
R.I.P. Forry Ackerman
David, I hope these make you feel better. By popular request: More images of Forry; signing my Laserdisc, Me and Forry, me in front of the theater, hanging in the Englewood with me and my brother, and the "Area 1951" Film Festival Marquee.
He had flown out all the way from California to host five nights of movies at the Englewood, the largest (at the time) indoor screen in the country (five stories tall!). The night in question, the movie was, "The Man from Planet X" (a great film!)
David, I hope these make you feel better. By popular request: More images of Forry; signing my Laserdisc, Me and Forry, me in front of the theater, hanging in the Englewood with me and my brother, and the "Area 1951" Film Festival Marquee.
He had flown out all the way from California to host five nights of movies at the Englewood, the largest (at the time) indoor screen in the country (five stories tall!). The night in question, the movie was, "The Man from Planet X" (a great film!)
Attachments
So long Uncle Forry and thank you. I loved Famous Monsters. I couldn't believe there was a magazine devoted to something that I loved. Every month I'd run down to the Circle K to pick up the new issue with baited breath.
Rest in Peace Mr. Ackerman and thanks again for all the great memories.
Rest in Peace Mr. Ackerman and thanks again for all the great memories.
G
Gil Bavel
Guest
derekcbart
Skilled Investigator
An IIG friend of mine knew 4SJ (his online nickname) very well. Two of her friends were his personal assistants.
The saddest thing is not that he is dead, but it is that in 2002/2003 when he was going broke no one from Hollywood came forward to help to keep his collection intact and he had to sell a lot of his material through an eBay auction in order to raise money and remove items because he was being forced to move into a smaller house. I purchased 6 "Fantastic Voyages" novels and 2 "The Prisoner" novels. I had always hoped to be able to return them to him, but I never got the chance. I never met 4SJ, but I knew about what was going on through my friend.
At this point in time no one knows what is going to happen to his collection. He had no children and no one is sure what his Will says yet.
The saddest thing is not that he is dead, but it is that in 2002/2003 when he was going broke no one from Hollywood came forward to help to keep his collection intact and he had to sell a lot of his material through an eBay auction in order to raise money and remove items because he was being forced to move into a smaller house. I purchased 6 "Fantastic Voyages" novels and 2 "The Prisoner" novels. I had always hoped to be able to return them to him, but I never got the chance. I never met 4SJ, but I knew about what was going on through my friend.
At this point in time no one knows what is going to happen to his collection. He had no children and no one is sure what his Will says yet.
G
