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11/7/2008 12:09:52 AM
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bluetyson
Posts 1074
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Perry Rhodan, thanks very much.
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Free SF - Not Free SF Megablog | Free SF Reader | Not Free SF Reader | Super Reader - Superhero Prose Fiction | Space Opera Reader
Leigh Brackett (ology) | Laird Barron (ology) | Paolo Bacigalupi (ology) | Greg Egan (ology) | Alastair Reynolds (ology) | Cordwainer Smith (ology) | Charles Stross (ology) | Ted Chiang (ology)
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11/7/2008 6:35:59 AM
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dolphintornsea
Posts 499
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Gosh, that's incredibly sad. I'm not sure how old he was, but I think he was far into his nineties.
Forry Ackerman was probably the greatest fan the SF world ever had. In fact, he was probably the greatest fan of anything the world has ever seen.
He even collaborated of a few stories with well known SF writers, and put together a few anthologies as editor. I picked up a copy of an intriguing collection of oldies, not long ago, called Gosh! Wow! Sense of Wonder. It's on a shelf of books I hope to get to one day, but I've already read some of his entertaining introductions to the stories.
He will be missed, but not forgotten.
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11/7/2008 8:58:34 AM
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Marian
Posts 2960
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I'm sorry to hear it but what a legacy! The ultimate fan and collector and repository of knowledge of all things sf.
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"Know the truth and the truth shall make you odd."
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11/7/2008 9:36:52 AM
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Thomas R
Posts 3510
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"Uhh the latest news is that he's not, in fact, dead but is instead very very ill. SFF.Net has retracted and someone apparently contacted him."
No longer true.
edited by Thomas R on 12/5/2008
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"Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased by tales, so is the other." Francis Bacon
"Gummy Bears, gummy bears don't spread darkness and death!... Do they?" Tom Servo MST3K
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11/7/2008 10:16:59 AM
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Tom Purdom
Posts 834
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Ackerman was a major presence in SF when I started reading it 58 years ago. The way people referred to him, in fact, he already seemed like a legendary figure.
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11/7/2008 11:40:37 AM
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gdozois
Posts 4260
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If anyone would be pleased about coming back from the dead, even for only a short while, it would be Ackerman.
I just read that H.P. Lovecraft makes a jibe about Ackerman in one of his letters from the '30s, saying that he'd send a ghoul to eat him but was afraid that the ghoul would get sick, which shows you just how long he's been around.
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11/7/2008 3:50:04 PM
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alastair_mayer
Posts 462
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Forrest J did a film review column, "Scientifilm World" for the 'zine Novae Terrae back in the 30s, of which I inherited a few copies. My dad once did a guest review for that column (in 1936), later reprinted (I discovered recently) in Perry Rhodan volume 81. Personally I remember 4SJ best from reading issues of "Famous Monsters of Filmland" when I was a kid. He's certainly had an impressive influence in the field.
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- Alastair
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11/8/2008 12:16:06 AM
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pc
Posts 2165
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One of those towering figures, for sure.
I've got an anthology of his, of short stories that got made into hit SF movies.
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It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes -- Douglas Adams
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11/8/2008 2:17:13 PM
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galaxie500
Posts 215
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Well, folks, good news is that he isn't dead yet, so you should wait with condolences.
The news about death were somewhat premature.
He is in serious condition, but not dead. It seems that nobody read what Thomas R. had written few columns above.
And man is a living legend.
edited by galaxie500 on 11/8/2008
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12/5/2008 6:06:52 PM
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Lee S
Posts 355
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MSN is reporting that he passed of a heart attack at home. Apparently this was yesterday.
link hope the link is formatted properly.
edited by Lee S on 12/5/2008
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12/5/2008 6:31:01 PM
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Marian
Posts 2960
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Rest in peace. He made a unique niche for himself in the world and filled it beautifully.
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"Know the truth and the truth shall make you odd."
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12/5/2008 6:47:44 PM
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alastair_mayer
Posts 462
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Nothing about it in Locus Online yet. Perhaps they're waiting to be sure this isn't another false alarm.
(Somehow it strikes me as very Forry-like to be repeatedly reported dead and rising from the grave yet again.)
.
edited by alastair_mayer on 12/5/2008
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- Alastair
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12/5/2008 7:02:00 PM
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Dave_Truesdale
Posts 645
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4E was 92, having been born November 14th (or 24th?), 1916. I will miss him immensely. Had lunch with him and Fred Pohl once, at the 1978 Worldcon in Phoenix. He had just returned from a trip to Japan where he was honored in a ribbon-cutting ceremony of an SF museum (I _think_ devoted to a lot of his stuff, but am not sure). He returned with this spiffy, slick, full-color, full-size one-shot tribute to him and some of the coolest stuff in his collection. All of the text was in both Japanese and English. I was honored when he presented me with a copy, as it's pretty darn rare.
I hated Perry Rhodan, but it did bring in a lot of new readers, I guess. But Forry was never without a smile in all the years I saw him at worldcons. Another legend now sadly gone.
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"When any category of science fiction has become dull and repetitive, there is always a brilliant story waiting to be written by giving up the assumptions that made the story easy to write." -- Damon Knight
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12/5/2008 7:21:23 PM
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John E. Rogers, Jr.
Posts 2077
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A sad day.
May he rest in peace.
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12/6/2008 2:40:01 AM
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Marian
Posts 2960
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Locus now has the announcement under Breaking News but no write up yet. Here's more from SF Wire http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=62610
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"Know the truth and the truth shall make you odd."
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12/6/2008 8:19:17 AM
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Bill Moonroe
Posts 4377
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Saw this on the SFWA page, too. RIP, Forrest.
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"A thagizer? What's that do? Hey, what's this button for? Uh-oh. Sorry about that, man. It'll grow back, right?"
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12/6/2008 1:43:07 PM
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dolphintornsea
Posts 499
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Once again, my condolences to all those who loved him. I hope he had some pleasure from his recent 92nd birthday celebrations, which he seems to have hung on for.
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12/8/2008 3:55:54 AM
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Annie
Posts 460
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RIP
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12/8/2008 1:01:20 PM
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TCO
Posts 155
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We are losing even the connections to when SF was great.
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2/5/2009 4:39:45 AM
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Marian
Posts 2960
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A final word. His collection is to be auctioned off http://scifiwire.com/2009/02/forrest-ackerman-memorabilia-including-draculas-cape-to-be-sold.php#more
That link gives a photo of him plus gives an idea of his collection.
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"Know the truth and the truth shall make you odd."
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