{"product_id":"the-first-geeks-ray-bradbury-forrest-j-ackerman-ray-harryhausen-and-the-founding-of-science-fiction-fandom-9781476686301","title":"The First Geeks: Ray Bradbury, Forrest J Ackerman, Ray Harryhausen and the Founding of Science Fiction Fandom","description":"\u003cp\u003e The writer Ray Bradbury, science fiction expert Forry Ackerman, and special effects genius Ray Harryhausen are world-famous for their careers involving tales of the imagination. Before anyone had heard of them, they were friends as teens and college-aged boys enjoying all that 1930s L.A. had to offer: getting celebrity autographs, watching blockbuster movies, and haunting dozens of bookstores. As members of the Los Angeles chapter of the Science Fiction League, the three belonged to a tight-knit group that was involved in the earliest science fiction conventions and the birth of cosplay.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This book follows the lives and careers of these three literary and film legends and tracks the origins of science fiction fandom. Each chapter builds a chronology of how their paths intertwined, and ultimately connected to, the beginnings of renowned fan conventions like Comic-Con. Devoted science fiction fans and new readers alike will learn how a young friendship launched three illustrious careers and changed the face of science fiction forever.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOrton Ortwein\u003c\/b\u003e is a librarian living in Chicago. He has been published in the \u003ci\u003eSaturday Evening Post\u003c\/i\u003e and has given numerous talks on Ray Bradbury and science fiction fandom.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"McFarland \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50555411235090,"sku":"9781476686301","price":43.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_7c06622d-05be-4281-9f07-d4c3c9f089d5.jpg?v=1731730476","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-first-geeks-ray-bradbury-forrest-j-ackerman-ray-harryhausen-and-the-founding-of-science-fiction-fandom-9781476686301","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}