Forrest J. Ackerman
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Forrest J Ackerman (also Forrest J. Ackerman), born November 24 1916 and still living and active, is often called "Forry" or "4e" or "4SJ", and is a legendary science fiction fan, as well as an occasional author, actor, producer (Vampirella), magazine editor and literary agent of many of the science fiction greats. Although he is best known to baby-boomers as editor-writer of the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland, this is actually only one facet of his enormous influence on the origination, organization, and spread of science fiction fandom and of science fiction as a respectable literary, art and film genre from its inception in the early 1920s to the present.
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Accomplishments
Ackerman helped found and was a life-long activist in the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, a prominent regional organization in science fiction fandom, as well as the National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F). He was personally acquainted with many mid-twentieth-century writers of science-fiction. He is most noted, however, for his extremely large and complete collection of science-fiction and memorabilia, which was maintained in a remarkable mansion known as the "Ackermansion".
Ackerman is also notable for having coined the term sci-fi by analogy with hi-fi. Although many serious science fiction fans hated the phrase, considering it gimmicky and disrespectful, it gained widespread usage by the early 60s.
In the 1970s, Ackerman organized the publication of an English translation in the U.S. of the German science fiction series Perry Rhodan, the longest science fiction series in history. His German-speaking wife Wendayne ("Wendy") did most of the translation. The American books were issued with varying frequency (basically as fast as Wendayne could translate them and the Ackermans could sign up new subscribers), from one to as many as four per month. Ackerman also used the paperback series to promote science fiction short stories, including his own on occasion. Unfortunately, the American series was never a major commercial success, and eventually lost its publishing outlets around issue #120. (The original German series continues today and passed issue #2200 in 2003.)
Works
Non-fiction
- A Reference Guide to American Science Fiction Films
- Forrest J Ackerman's World of Science Fiction
- Famous Forrie Fotos: Over 70 Years of Ackermemories
Anthologies
- Rainbow Fantasia: 35 Spectrumatic Tales of Wonder
- Science Fiction Worlds of Forrest J. Ackerman
- Best Science Fiction for 1973
- Gernsback Awards 1926
- The Gernsback Awards Vol. 1, 1926
- Gosh! Wow! (Sense of Wonder) Science Fiction
- Gosh! Wow!
- Reel Future
- I, Vampire: Interviews with the Undead
- Ackermanthology: 65 Astonishing, Rediscovered Sci-Fi Shorts
- Ackermanthology: Millennium Edition: 65 Astonishing Rediscovered Sci-Fi Shorts
- Film Futures
Short stories
- Nymph of Darkness
- The Shortest SF Story Ever Written
- A Martian Oddity
- Nymph of Darkness
- Earth's Lucky Day
- The Record
- Micro Man
- Tarzan and the Golden Loin
- Dhactwhu!-Remember?
- A Martian Oddity
- The Mute Question
- Atoms and Stars
- The Lady Takes a Powder
- Sabina
- What an Idea!
- Death Rides the Spaceways
- Dwellers in the Dust
- Burn Witch, Burn
- The Girl Who Wasn't There
- Count Down to Doom
- Time to Change
- And Then the Cover Was Bare
- The Atomic Monument
- Letter to an Angel
- The Man Who Was Thirsty
- The Radclyffe Effect
- Cosmic Report Card: Earth
Appearances
Ackerman himself appeared as a character in The Vampire Affair by David McDaniel, a novel in the Man from U.N.C.L.E. series, as well as in Philip José Farmer's novel Blown.
A life-long fan of science fiction "B-movies", Ackerman has also appeared in bit roles in many monster movies (e.g., The Howling, Return of the Living Dead Part II), more traditional sci-fi films (e.g., The Power, The Time Travelers, Future War), and spoofs (e.g, Amazon Women on the Moon, Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold).
See also
External links
- 4e's Foyer: biography of Forrest J Ackerman (http://4forry.best.vwh.net/bio.htm)
- SFSite: Gary Westfahl's Biographical Encylopedia: Ackerman, Forrest J. (http://www.sfsite.com/gary/acke01.htm)
- DragonCon 2005: bio of guest Forrest J. Ackerman (http://www.dragoncon.org/people/ackermf.html)
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