Forrest J. Ackerman

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.

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".

Related Topics:
Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society - National Fantasy Fan Federation

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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.

Related Topics:
Sci-fi - Hi-fi

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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.)

Related Topics:
1970s - Perry Rhodan - 2003

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