[drewprops]

Forrest J Ackerman, one of the fundamental pioneers of the science fiction fan community, passed away yesterday (great AP story about him). I never met Forry, but he's a legend among fans of fandom. He was fairly well responsible for ensuring that Ray Bradbury was discovered and his genuine love of the imaginative, pulpish genres of fiction and horror has long made him a light in the firmament of the sci-fi/fantasy community. I'm sorry that I never met Forry, but I'm grateful to him for everything he did to make sci-fi part of our mainstream culture...

[Swox]

I wonder if Philip K. Dick named the Ackerman family in Now Wait for Last Year after him...

I'd never heard of him before, but he sounds like he was an interesting character.

[drewprops]

He became a touchstone of sorts for people in the industry. You know, I have no idea of what he was really like as a man.... wondering if there's a biography of him out there. He could have been wise and mentor-like, or batshit crazy and annoying.... a go-to or an avoid-at-all-costs-unless-you-want-to-make-a-joke kind of guy... the reality was probably somewhere inbetween.

Regardless of his persona, his actions certainly had an impact on modern society.