(1916-2008) US editor, agent and collector, a reader of the sf Magazines from their inception (with a letter published in Science Wonder Quarterly in 1929), an active member of sf Fandom from his early teens; as early as 1932 he served as associate editor of The Time Traveller, often cited as the first Fanzine. Beginning with "A Trip to Mars" for the San Francisco Chronicle, for many decades he wrote stories and articles prolifically for fan journals – using his own name and a wide variety of elaborate pseudonyms, including Dr Acula, Sylvius Agricola, S F Balboa, Coil Kepac, Jacques DeForest Erman, Alden Lorraine, Spencer Strong, Vespertina Torgosi, Hubert George Wells (cheekily) and Weaver Wright – and becoming known in fan circles as "Mr Science Fiction". His first solo professional fiction sale was "Earth's Lucky Day" (March/April 1936 Wonder Stories) with Francis Flagg; he had previously collaborated with C L Moore on "Nymph of Darkness" (April 1935 Fantasy Magazine). Ackerman won several awards for his activities, including a Hugo in 1953 for Number One Fan Personality, a Bram Stoker (horror) life achievement award in 1997, and a World Fantasy Award for life achievement in 2002. Some of his more interesting work was assembled in Science Fiction Worlds of Forrest J. Ackerman and Friends (anth 1969; exp vt Expanded Science Fiction Worlds of Forrest J Ackerman & Friends PLUS 2002); other contributors include Robert A W Lowndes, William F Nolan, Theodore Sturgeon and A E van Vogt. Along with a huge assemblage of ephemera connected to Los Angeles and Hollywood, he collected sf books and memorabilia from the very first, publishing in "I Bequeath" (to the Fantasy Foundation) (1946 chap) a bibliography of the first 1300 items, and eventually housing his 300,000-item library, which he called the Fantasy Foundation, in a seventeen-room house in Hollywood, the maintenance of which proved difficult to manage over the years. The library was further celebrated in Souvenir Book of Mr Science Fiction's Fantasy Museum (1978 chap). Disposals of collectable books were made at intervals; and part of the library was auctioned in 1987, grossing over $550,000.
Ackerman was active as an editor for many years, though not deeply influential; he edited both the Cinema magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland (1958-1983, final issue #190 dated January 1983) and the US Perry Rhodan series (1969-1977) – to which he contributed editorials as Forry Rhodan. Nonfiction related to Famous Monsters of Filmland include Boris Karloff: The Frankenscience Monster (1969) and Mr Monster's Movie Gold (anth 1982), the latter mostly an assembly of rare film stills. His sf anthologies include Best Science Fiction for 1973 (anth 1973), Gosh! Wow! (Sense of Wonder) Science Fiction (anth 1982), The Gernsback Awards, Vol 1: 1926 (anth 1982) and Reel Future (anth 1994) with Jean Marie Stine (> Hank Stine). Notorious for his punning and use of simplified words (such as signing himself "4e" for "Forry"; > Fan Language), Ackerman is credited with introducing the term Sci Fi in 1954. He was agent for a number of writers, notably A E van Vogt.
His wife, the translator Wendayne Ackerman, was also a fan. [MJE/JC/DRL]
see also: Collections; Fan Funds.
Forrest James Ackerman
born Los Angeles, California: 24 November 1916
died Los Angeles, California: 4 December 2008
works
- Micro-Man
(no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2010) [story: ebook: first appeared July 1947 Fantasy Book as by Weaver Wright: na/]
nonfiction:
- In Memoriam H.G. Wells 1866-1946 (1946) with Arthur Louis Joquel II [pb/]
- "I Bequeath" (to the Fantasy Foundation) (Los Angeles, California: The Author, 1946) [pb/]
- Boris Karloff: The Frankenscience Monster (New York: Ace Books, 1969) [pb/]
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (New York: Warren Publications, 1977) [chap: magazine: pb/]
- Souvenir Book of Mr Science Fiction's Fantasy Museum (1978) [pb/]
- J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: A Fantasy Film (New York: Warren Publications, 1979) [chap: magazine: edited by James Warren: pb/]
- Mr Monster's Movie Gold: A Treasure-Trove of Imagi-Movies (Virginia Beach, Virginia: Donning, 1981) [pb/photographic]
- A Reference Guide to American Science Fiction Films, Volume 1 (Bloomington, Indiana: TIS Publishing, 1981) with A W Strickland [only one volume published: hb/]
- Fantastic Movie Memories: Forrest Ackerman's Treasure Trove of Imagi-Movies (Canoga Park, California: New Media Books, 1985) [pb/]
- MagicImage Filmbooks Presents "The Bride of Frankenstein" (Absecon, New Jersey: MagicImage Filmbooks, 1989) with Philip J Riley [pb/]
- MagicImage Filmbooks Presents "Frankenstein" (Absecon, New Jersey: MagicImage Filmbooks, 1989) with Philip J Riley [pb/]
- Forrest J Ackerman's World of Science Fiction (Los Angeles, California: General Publishing Group, 1997) [hb/]
- Famous Forry Fotos: Over 70 Years of Ackermemories (Rockville, Maryland: Sense of Wonder Press, 2001) [pb/]
- Worlds of Tomorrow: The Amazing Universe of Science Fiction Art (Portland, Oregon: Collector's Press, 2004) with Brad Linaweaver [hb/]
- Out of this World Convention (no place given: Project Gutenberg, 2010) [nonfiction: ebook: first appeared January 1957 Fantastic Universe: na/]
works as editor
- James Warren Presents the Best from Famous Monsters of Filmland (New York: Paperback Library, 1964) [pb/]
- James Warren Presents Famous Monsters of Filmland Strike Back! (New York: Paperback Library, 1965) [pb/]
- James Warren Presents Son of Famous Monsters of Filmland (New York: Paperback Library, 1965) [pb/]
- Science Fiction Worlds of Forrest J Ackerman & Friends (Reseda, California: Sense of Wonder Press, 2002) [anth: pb/]
- Best Science Fiction for 1973 (New York: Ace Books, 1973) [anth: pb/]
- Gosh! Wow! (Sense of Wonder) Science Fiction (Nevada City, California: Sirius Science Fiction, 1982) [anth: pb/photographic]
- The Gernsback Awards, Vol 1: 1926 (Los Angeles, California: Triton, 1982) [anth: opening a projected 28-volume series; no other volumes appeared: hb/]
- Lon of 1000 Faces! (Beverley Hills, California: Morrison Raven-Hill, 1983) [anth: on Lon Chaney: hb/photographic]
- Reel Future: The Stories that Inspired 16 Classic Science Fiction Movies (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1994) with Jean Marie Stine (> Hank Stine) [anth: hb/photographic]
- Ackermanthology! (Los Angeles, California: General Publishing Group, 1997) [anth: pb/Kelly Freas]
- Science Fiction Classics: The Stories that Morphed into Movies (New York: TV Books, 1999) [anth: pb/]
- Rainbow Fantasia: 35 Spectrumatic Tales of Wonder (Rockville, Maryland: Sense of Wonder Press, 2001) with Ann Hardin [anth: pod: hb/Anton Brzezinski]
- Sci-Fi Womanthology (Rockville, Maryland: Sense of Wonder Press, 2003) with Pam Keesey [anth: pod: Women SF Writers: hb/Margaret Brundage]
- Martianthology (Rockville, Maryland: Sense of Wonder Press, 2003) with Ann Hardin [anth: pod: Mars: hb/]
about the author
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