Called "Forry" or "the Ackermonster" by loving fans, Forrest J. Ackerman was a sci-fi god. He purchased his first science fiction magazine (Amazing Stories) in 1926. Ackerman attended the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939 and was the first to appear in costume, inspiring other fan costuming, including the most recent incarnation - cosplay. He attended every Worldcon except for two during his lifetime. Ackerman also coined the phrase "sci-fi".
He was an avid sci-fi and horror collector, housing his massive collection in the 18-room "Ackermansion" (or my idea of heaven on Earth). He frequently held open houses to allow fans (over 50,000 from 1951-2002) a chance to view his collection of more than 300,000 pieces of science fiction memorobilia. In 2002, he gave much of his collection to the Seattle Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame and moved to the "Acker-mini-mansion" when his health began to fail.
Ackerman died on December 4, 2008 at the age of 92. He will be sorely missed by sci-fi fans all over the globe.
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