Forrest J. Ackerman was the world’s foremost science fiction fan, as well as former editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland – I was a subscriber and avid reader from the first issue in 1958, and learned quite a bit about behind the scenes fantasy filmmaking. Forry inspired me to read and write science fiction and think way, way outside the box. His house, the Ackermansion (he was a dangerous punster), became a museum of science fiction and fantasy.
After a very rich and wonder-full life, Forry died a December 4. He was 92.
Wikipedia has a detailed entry about him, and Time Magazine has a nice obit.
(Photo by Alan Light)