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,” died Thursday of heart failure at his Los Angeles home. He was 92.
A Tribute By Our Own Sheila Merritt:
Forrest J. Ackerman can’t have passed away. He was around forever, and he was supposed to live forever. While he didn’t make geek chic, he did make it accepted, and somewhat fashionable. Forry gave us license to be freaks. We could find community and comfort in liking aspects of pop culture that were disdained in the mainstream.
Almost everyone has a Forry story: The con they attended where the biggest fan and nurturer of horror and sci-fi (he coined the term) invited them to his home/museum of movie and fiction memorabilia. His interest in whatever fanzine was being published. How he relished each and every opportunity to connect with like minds.
If there is an afterlife, then it is easy to picture Mr. Ackerman watching horror and science fiction movies, seated with Boris Karloff, Robert Bloch, and Ed Wood. What a swell party that would be.
Better yet, let’s acknowledge what we do know: Forrest Ackerman is alive in each and every one of us. He allows us to be forever young, forever freaky and geeky, and to know we are not alone.
For more details on his life: Variety
