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First edition of the third novel set in Burroughs's hollow earth land of Pellucidar, "scientifictionist" Forrest J Ackerman's copy, with his book label on the front free endpaper. A writer of science fiction, magazine editor, and literary agent who represented Isaac Asmiov, Ray Bradbury, and L. Ron Hubbard, Ackerman (1916-2008) was one of the founders and earliest promoters of science fiction fandom, coining the term "sci-fi" in 1954 after hearing a radio advertisement for hi-fi record players. This copy of Tanar of Pellucidar likely passed into Ackerman's possession through the Boys Scientifiction Club, a correspondence club and lending library which the teenaged Ackerman founded in 1930 with fellow enthusiast Linus Hogenmiller (1917-1971), whose ownership stamps appear on the title page and page 9. To join, members had to contribute three magazines or a hardback, which could then be borrowed by other members; it is possible that the present volume was one of the very first books given to the club's library. Ackerman held a deep affection for science fiction, and for Burroughs especially, throughout his life: at 14 years old, when one of his teachers dismissed Burroughs's books as "horrid literature out of the garbage cans", he wrote to the author himself to express his dissent: "I am a low Junior in High School. Today at school our teacher was discussing 'good literature'. I asked if Edgar Rice Burroughs was all right for a book report. I knew she'd say 'no' (teachers always do) but I didn't expect her to lecture to the class for the whole period about how terrible your books were!" To Ackerman's surprise, Burroughs replied, thanking him for his letter and asking him to "Tell your teacher that, though she may be right about my stories, there are some fifty million people in the world who will not agree with her, which is fortunate for me, since even writers of garbage-can literature must eat." Ackerman founded or co-founded several fan clubs and magazines in the years that followed, including The Time Traveler, the first fan magazine devoted entirely to science fiction; the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society and its fanzine, Imagination!, which in 1938 published Ray Bradbury's first short story; and Famous Monsters of Filmland, dedicated to horror films, to which the teenaged Stephen King submitted a story. As a journalist, Ackerman met Burroughs twice, interviewing him first in 1947 for Fantasy Review, and again in 1957 for Science Fiction Monthly. During their first interview at Burroughs's home in Tarzana, the suburb of Los Angeles which takes its name from the author's jungle hero, Burroughs signed one of his books for Ackerman: "He autographed for me one of the rarest of all his works, the novella Beyond Thirty, romance of a barbarian 'Grabitten' (Great Britain) of the 22nd Century, full of wild men and beasts" ("Forrest J Ackerman visits Edgar Rice Burroughs"). Ackerman was a prolific collector of books and memorabilia: before its dispersal in 2002, his collection comprised over 300,000 books, magazines, film stills and props, which filled his 18-room "Ackermansion", including "the ring worn by Bela Lugosi playing Dracula in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, or a monocle worn by Fritz Lang, who directed Ackerman's favourite film, Metropolis, to the very first Hugo Award, which he received from the World Science Fiction Convention in 1953. A prop casket from a Frankenstein film served as a coffin table, and the pterodactyl from King Kong hung from a ceiling" (The Guardian). Zeuschner 520. "Forrest J Ackerman visits Edgar Rice Burroughs", Fantasy Review, vol. 2, no. 12, 1947; The Guardian, 7 December 2008. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine and front cover lettered in black. With dust jacket. Edges rubbed with a couple of scuffs to corners; jacket spine faded, extremities chipped and creased, otherwise bright and unclipped: a very good copy in very good dust jacket.
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