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Forry Ackerman Dead At 92

Posted by kdawson on from the famous-monsters-wave-bye-bye dept.

rrohbeck was one of several readers to note the passing of Forrest J. Ackerman at the age of 92. Ackerman, who coined the term sci-fi in 1954, has been called the 'world's biggest fan.' Over a long career he acted as literary agent for Isaac Asimov, A.E. van Vogt, Hugo Gernsback, and L. Ron Hubbard; he published Ray Bradbury's first short story in a fan magazine in 1938. Ackerman wrote over 2,000 articles and short stories, including, oddly enough, lesbian fiction in the 1940s. In recent years, mounting health bills forced him to sell his home, the 'Ackermansion,' and most of the 300,000 items of memorabilia it stored.

8 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. L Ron? by bluephone · · Score: 4, Funny

    So we can blame him for giving Hubbard his start? Not something I'd brag about. ;)

    --
    jX [ Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler. - Einstein ]
    1. Re:L Ron? by CaptainPatent · · Score: 2, Funny

      So we can blame him for giving Hubbard his start? Not something I'd brag about. ;)

      Lord Xenu looks down at you with disgust.

      --
      Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
    2. Re:L Ron? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Lord Xenu looks down at you with disgust.

      That's a $15,000 fine if I'm not mistaken. And you have to spend an hour with Tom Cruise.

    3. Re:L Ron? by cencithomas · · Score: 5, Funny

      ...Can I give you $30,000 to skip the hour with Cruise?? *sweat*

      --
      ...'tis easier to blame than to improve.
    4. Re:L Ron? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Unlike all of those who found they could get rich writing science fiction...

    5. Re:L Ron? by commodoresloat · · Score: 3, Funny

      he doesn't even seem like that great of a sci-fi author. i mean, DC-8s? really? that's the best design he could come up with for an intergalactic ship?

      He was going to use DC-10s but he was worried because of the cargo door problem.

  2. link? by langelgjm · · Score: 5, Funny

    lesbian fiction in the 1940s.

    Um, link?

    --
    "Anyone who [rips a CD] is probably engaging in copyright infringement." - David O. Carson
    1. Re:link? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Ackerman wrote over 2,000 articles and short stories, including, oddly enough, lesbian fiction in the 1940s.

      Oddly enough ? The guy was a sci-fi geek. The closest he was going to get near a woman, never mind a lesbian, was to write a fictional one.

      I know you're going for a Funny mod but this actually makes you an asshole.