In Memoriam: Forrest J Ackerman, 1916-2008
Dec. 5th, 2008 06:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thatcrazycajunAnd damn my fannish soul to hell, I forgot to send the postcard. The man who founded Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, the Ackermansion and a lifetime's worth of SF memories for millions, Forry Ackerman, died today of cardiac failure after a long illness at home in Los Angeles, CA at age 92. The news is still a shock even though we knew it was coming (see post from last month in my calendar); the full story is here.
Now all I can do is send a message of condolence to his family. Though "4E" might not have enjoyed the lofty stature of a Clarke or an Asimov himself, he did help and represent Ike and many others. And he did have the immense pleasure of discovering—and the generosity to share with us and the world—the genius that was and is Ray Bradbury. He was indelibly a legend in, and co-builder of, the community in which I have now spent a full two-thirds of my life. He lived through most of the century that birthed science fiction, to witness the climactic apotheosis of his beloved genre in today's films, TV and other media...and even got to act in a few of the movies that were part of it. And by all accounts, he was just a damned nice and sweet old fella who always had time for his fellow fans...or made it. And at least he went surrounded by messages of love and gratitude from many of the thousands whose lives he touched.
To say that he will be missed is like saying that Star Wars' Death Star was kinda big. "Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." (Although knowing Forry, he might have preferred zombies...) If you have memories of Forry to share, here would be a good place.
ADDENDUM, 8:21p: The founder of Ain't It Cool News shares his own thoughts here on Forry's passing, along with those of some other genre luminaries...and a final message from the great man himself, written five years ago in anticipation of his coming demise and (so he believed) subsequent nonexistence on any plane. While Forry apparently chose not to believe in an afterlife or a God, I personally prefer to realize that none of us, including him, really knows or can hope to know what lies beyond the veil until the day we venture there ourselves...and therefore, as with the genre of entertainment we all love, anything is possible (including someone actually coming back to tell about it, with proof). May we all find him proven wrong and holding court in the con suite at HeavenCon.
Now all I can do is send a message of condolence to his family. Though "4E" might not have enjoyed the lofty stature of a Clarke or an Asimov himself, he did help and represent Ike and many others. And he did have the immense pleasure of discovering—and the generosity to share with us and the world—the genius that was and is Ray Bradbury. He was indelibly a legend in, and co-builder of, the community in which I have now spent a full two-thirds of my life. He lived through most of the century that birthed science fiction, to witness the climactic apotheosis of his beloved genre in today's films, TV and other media...and even got to act in a few of the movies that were part of it. And by all accounts, he was just a damned nice and sweet old fella who always had time for his fellow fans...or made it. And at least he went surrounded by messages of love and gratitude from many of the thousands whose lives he touched.
To say that he will be missed is like saying that Star Wars' Death Star was kinda big. "Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." (Although knowing Forry, he might have preferred zombies...) If you have memories of Forry to share, here would be a good place.
ADDENDUM, 8:21p: The founder of Ain't It Cool News shares his own thoughts here on Forry's passing, along with those of some other genre luminaries...and a final message from the great man himself, written five years ago in anticipation of his coming demise and (so he believed) subsequent nonexistence on any plane. While Forry apparently chose not to believe in an afterlife or a God, I personally prefer to realize that none of us, including him, really knows or can hope to know what lies beyond the veil until the day we venture there ourselves...and therefore, as with the genre of entertainment we all love, anything is possible (including someone actually coming back to tell about it, with proof). May we all find him proven wrong and holding court in the con suite at HeavenCon.
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Date: 2008-12-06 12:16 am (UTC)Sounds like my kinda guy. Like ships in the night, we passed but never met; many was the Dragon*Con I attended and saw him on the program but never went to a panel.
73, 4SJ. Never knew ye, but wish I had now.
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Date: 2008-12-06 12:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-06 03:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-06 06:21 am (UTC)And debating good-naturedly with Isaac Asimov which of them was more surprised.