Heroes and Legacies

My formative years, when I started reading science fiction and fantasy, were spent in Zambia in the 1980s, where Famous Monster of Filmland never reached, as far as I know. After I moved to the states and started reading not just fiction but articles about the creators of the sf genre, the name Forrest J Ackerman loomed as one of the still-living giants of the field. In terms of LFS history, Ackerman accepted the 1988 Hall of Fame Award on behalf of Alfred Bester.

I met Forrest Ackerman very briefly at the 1996 WorldCon in Los Angeles (or, to be correct, Anaheim). Though the meeting was brief, Ackerman (I'm not sure I can call him Forry), radiated enthusiasm and joy; science fiction was an integral part of his identity. Indeed, many of the obituaries published after he died in early December 2008 described him as science fiction's number one fan-boy, which I am sure would have delighted him greatly. Ackerman's death dims the chain of bright lights that connect us to our science fiction past. If modern science fiction was born out of the early 20th century (ignoring the many 19th century precursors), we now stand on the cusp of the second century of the science fiction mind. It's then almost mind-boggling to realize that Ackerman introduced Robert A. Heinlein's Guest of Honor speech at the Third World Science Fiction Convention, in 1941!

I read about Ackerman's premature death and then real death at Locus Online in December. A few days later Brad Linaweaver emailed me and mentioned Ackerman's passing. I have known from many discussions with Linaweaver that Ackerman meant a great to the science fiction writer community in general, and a great deal personally to Linaweaver. I saw a posting at Victor Koman's blog where he paid tribute to Ackerman, and also a note online by F. Paul Wilson at the Repairman Jack forum. No doubt there are scores of other such reminiscences online and in print by now. Literary heroes mean a great deal to me. I wanted to honor someone like Ackerman. Prometheus strives to mention and honor writers and individuals who have influenced libertarian science fiction and libertarian science fiction writers, from Robert Shea, Robert Anton Wilson, Poul Anderson, Samuel Edward Konkin III, as well as former members of the LFS such as Kerry Pearson, Adam Starchild and others.

I therefore asked Linaweaver if I could use anything he had written about Ackerman for Prometheus, and asked the same of Koman and Wilson. I received permission from all three. The tribute by Linaweaver is original to Prometheus, and Wilson modified some of his original text for this issue. I welcome any other tributes or memorials about Ackerman, or any other literary person of influence.

In this issue I also have a brief note about the death of Patrick McGoohan, who died this year. McGoohan is best known for his short-lived TV show, The Prisoner, which LFS honored with a Prometheus Hall of Fame Award in 2002. What the judge stated in the final episode about Number 6 applies equally to McGoohan: “He has gloriously vindicated the right of the individual to be individual.”