Life is But a Scream!: The True Story of the Rebirth of Famous Monsters of Filmland

No good deed ever goes unpunished as poor, star-struck Ray Ferry discovered when he exhumed editor Forrest J. Ackerman and the groundbreaking Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine from the vault of obscurity. Ferry is like one of those self-deluded characters in a Universal Frankenstein film from the mid-1940s. An earnest and well-meaning type who can't resist the temptation of seeing the comatose creation of Dr. Frankenstein at full strength again, he revived the self-proclaimed Ackermonster and was attacked and almost destroyed for his pains.This is a cautionary tale for the fanboy crowd who insist on viewing the sci-fi/horror world in blacks and whites as stark as those employed by cinematographer Karl Freund in DRACULA and THE MUMMY. A well written, surprisingly objective page-turner that no boy or ghoul interested in the field should be without.

OK. So there are two sides to every story, and perhaps now Forrest J Ackerman should write his own book. While the book strips back the facade of both Ray Ferry and Forry Ackerman to reveal two men -- huge fans of the genre themselves -- embattled over control of the world's #1 great horror magazine (and I don't think that is an exaggeration by any means) the real story lies in their separate efforts to keep the magazine alive ... or dead! I would only hope that these two grown men can now get on with their lives, possibly bury the hatchet and continue (it's not necessary to even do it together) for the good of the genre and countless horror fans. That said, I enjoyed the book immensly, it helped me to see both sides and I wish both of these guys the very best.

This story is incredible! Ferry should be voted into the business hall of fame. If you want to see what it's like to launch a new company against all odds read this book. What Ferry had to go through to bring back Famous Monsters is amazing and the book tells it all with a lot of pictures and letters to back it up. If you like the new Fmof magazine you will appreciate it much more after you read this book. I'm on my third time reading it now!

This book will defintely raise your eyebrows when you read it. A lot of people seem to be focusing on all the trouble that former horror guru Ackerman heaped on Ferry and, yes, that is discussed in detail in Ferry's book. But the most compelling reason to read it is to learn the story about a real-life David and how he struggled to survive against a pop-culture Goliath. The author talks about both his accomplishments and his mistakes with equal time. He doesn't try to make himself seem 100% right and everybody else 100% wrong which in itself is very unusual in this type of book.He also fills his book with personal stories about a lot of different celebrities he has worked with and anyone who is a fan of people like Ray Harryhausen, TV horror host John Zacherle and even rock star Alice Cooper will get a big kick out of the funny and touching stories Ferry tells. It's obvious how much he likes these people and when you read the stories, you get the feeling you are actually right there as they happen.Grab this book and find a quiet corner to read it in. You will love it!

This book delivers everything that FM Editor/Publisher Ray Ferry advertised it would!! Whether you're a reader of the new or old Famous Monsters Of Filmland magazine or just someone who wants to read a compelling and "revelatory" story about the inside world of monster fandom, this book is for you. It is very clear that Ray Ferry poored his all into the writing of this book and shared some highly personal and painful experiences in an effort to balance the story ... . Ray Ferry's "against all odds" story, to borrow a catch phrase, is generally thrilling but at times is even "chilling" when he casts the light on shocking events. ... This book is highly recommended!