Goodbye Forry

4SJ is gone. Dr. Acula will rise no more. Forrest J. Ackerman is dead, and I'm none too happy about it. I met Forry briefly when I was still a young owlet. It was at a Worldcon. He was wearing a replica of the costume he had worn at the first Worldcon in 1939. He was, I am told, the first person to wear a costume to a convention. I'm sure I made no impression on him, but it was a thrill for me. He was the man who invented the word “sci-fi.” His home, the Ackermansion (in Karloffornia) housed the best collection of science-fiction, fantasy, and horror memorabilia in the world. He was a living link to the earliest days of American SF fandom and a vital part of what eventually became geek culture. Once upon a time I thought that I would forever be a part of that world, but eventually reality intruded and I let my childhood slip away. Ackerman was far wiser. He was the ultimate fanboy to the very end. Cheers Forry. R.I.P.