Forrest James Ackerman was an American magazine editor, science fiction writer, and literary agent. As a literary agent, he represented such science fiction authors as Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and L. Ron Hubbard. For more than 70 years, he was one of science fiction’s staunchest spokesmen and promoters.

He was the founding editor and principal writer of the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. While he did not actually create the character of Vampirella, he did name her, based on the 1960s Jane Fonda film ‘Barbarella’. Ackerman was central to the formation, organization and spread of science fiction fandom and a key figure in the wider cultural perception of science fiction as a literary, art, and film genre. He attended the 1st World Science Fiction Convention in 1939, where he wore the first “futuristicostume” (designed and created by his girlfriend, Myrtle R Douglas, better known as Morojo), which sparked decades of fan costuming thereafter, the latest incarnation of which is cosplay. Famous for his word play and neologisms, he coined the genre nickname “sci-fi.” He posessed a shelf full of awards including multiple Hall of Fame inductions as well as Bram Stoker Award and World Fantasy Award lifetime achievements.