orrest J Ackerman is one of SF's most legendary fans and undoubtedly its foremost collector. His famed "Ackermansion" in Hollywood, Calif., holds more than 300,000 pieces of SF history in its 18 rooms, ranging from film props to first-edition novels. "Forry," as he is known, has been giving free tours of the mansion for the past 46 years, and anybody can request a tour simply by calling 1-213-MOONFAN. The only catch is that would-be visitors have to actually be in Hollywood to see the mansion. Or rather, they had to be in Hollywood.
But with Forry's new virtual CD-ROM museum and the right equipment, fans can visit the Ackermonster's domain anytime they please. This four-CD set (which Forry calls the "4ECD") contains 2.4 gigabytes of memorabilia, including QuickTime VR files, movie clips, audio interviews, graphics and text (seven full-length novels' worth). The museum itself is broken up into three main halls and a virtual theater. Each hall -- there is one for science fiction, fantasy and horror -- has several rooms, which in turn contain various pictures and artifacts.
Users navigate the museum via a simple point-and-click interface, "walking" from display to display or room to room. Selecting a display brings up additional screens of information, such as a QuickTime VR version of The Thing's head or the full text of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Additionally, a full map of the museum, a help screen and the exit are always just a click away.
Fun, fun, and more fun
There's no getting around the fact that this CD-ROM tour is fun to the Nth degree. There's 70 years' worth of SF stuff here, and poking around the museum's various nooks and crannies is like coming across the granddaddy of all attics and rummage sales. Remember the scary mutant from This Island Earth? Forry's got it. The original poster from Metropolis? Right here. A signed Karloff picture? Just to the left. Although the layout of the museum is fairly simple, there always seems to be just one more thing to do or see.
The best part of this collection, though, is how much of Forrest J Ackerman it exudes. Forry's paw prints are all over the place, whether it's a picture of Forry with a B-movie bombshell or a sample of the wonderful fan art he's been sent over the years. Forry is the ultimate geek fan of SF, but in his case this is a respectable -- even enviable -- indictment. Even when users think they're done for the day Forry gets in one last good
one: quit the CD and Forry's magically spinning head will appear.
On the downside, despite the use of audio, video and QuickTime VR, the bulk of the museum is made up of pictures and paintings, many of which lack captions. Sure, that photo of Forry and Somebody Famous looks great, but just who is that Somebody? Oh well. Back on the upside, the QuickTime VR clips are beyond fun. And heading into the theater to see some film clips (he even has Schlock!), with a seat next to Forry himself, is Ackerheaven.
