Elizabeth Bear just sent this sad news over Twitter.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A spokesman says sometime actor, literary agent, magazine editor and full-time bon vivant Forrest J Ackerman has died.
I never met him, I've never been to his reportedly awesome house, but all of us who enjoy or make a living from sci-fi (or both) owe him a moment of silence and remembrance.
Rest in peace, sir.
Most people who read my blog only do it via RSS and never see the comments, so I'm updating my post to add this comment from reader Stickman:
I do need you all to know what a class act Forry is.
For decades, Forrest J Ackerman opened his private home every week for public tours of his literally overwhelming collection of sci-fi and horror memorabilia. He had a practiced patter and plenty of horrid puns worthy of the founding editor of Famous Monsters Magazine.
A few years ago, Mr. Ackerman was hospitalized in serious condition. I had recently lost an inspirational college professor who I didn't even know was hospitalized, so I made a point of traveling to see Forrest to deliver a rocketship-featuring get-well card.
He looked bad. Really bad. He had spinal blocks in following a surgical procedure, a scar on his scalp, his partial dental bridge was out, his skin was ghastly pale, his hair was sickgreased, and his medically paralyzed body was arranged at odd angles within the tucked-in blanket.He literally looked like the bag of bones he was.
And he was smiling at his visitors.
He was telling his trademark corny jokes.
He insisted I take a complementary copy of Cult Movies magazine, an issue for which he recently wrote a column.
He was a gracious host even on what looked to be his deathbed.
That amount of grace in a person is stunning to experience.
You become very conscious of the air you walk through after such an encounter. He gave me proof of the possibility and ability of Human Grace firsthand. That's the kind of good man he is.
I am glad that in the subsequent years, and the last few weeks, he's had additional opportunity to receive well-wishers and tributes to him personally as well as his legacy to the fandom that Wil wrote about in the previous post.
I'm saddened he's gone, but I'm glad he existed, as Ray Bradbury said of our purpose, "to witness and to celebrate."
RIP, 4sJ.
