David Eddings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Eddings
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| Born | David Carroll Eddings July 7, 1931 Spokane, Washington |
| Died | June 2, 2009 (aged 77) Carson City, Nevada |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Alma mater | Reed College (BA) University of Washington (MA) |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Years active | 1972–2006 |
| Notable works |
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| Spouse | Leigh Eddings (1962–2007) |
David Carroll Eddings (born July 7, 1931 – died June 2, 2009) was an American writer known for his amazing fantasy stories. He wrote many popular series, often with his wife, Leigh. Some of his most famous books include The Belgariad, The Malloreon, and The Elenium. His stories are full of adventure, magic, and brave heroes.
Contents
About David Eddings
His Early Life and Education
David Eddings was born in Spokane, Washington, in 1931. He grew up near Puget Sound in a place called Snohomish. After high school, he studied speech, drama, and English in college. David was very good at speaking and acting, even winning a national contest!
He earned a bachelor's degree from Reed College in 1954. Later, he got a master's degree from the University of Washington in 1961. After college, he worked for a company called Boeing. This is where he met his future wife, Leigh Schall. They got married in 1962. For many years, David also taught at a college in South Dakota.
How He Started Writing
David Eddings finished his first published novel, High Hunt, in 1971. It was a story about four young men hunting deer. This book explored ideas about growing up and becoming a man. He really wanted to be a full-time author.
He wrote several other novels, but they weren't published right away. Most of these early stories were adventure tales. One book, The Losers, was written in the 1970s but wasn't published until 1992, after he became famous for his fantasy books.
Becoming a Fantasy Author
David Eddings found his way into fantasy writing by accident! One morning, he drew a map, which later became the basis for a land called Aloria in his books. He realized fantasy could be a great path for his writing after seeing how popular Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings still was.
He started adding names for kingdoms, characters, and even myths to his map. He thought fantasy books were always trilogies (three books), so he planned The Belgariad as three books. But his editor suggested publishing it as five books instead, because they were very long. David agreed, and the first book, Pawn of Prophecy, came out in 1982.
The Belgariad series became super popular! David Eddings continued to write fantasy books almost every year. By 1995, new books were credited to both David and Leigh Eddings. David explained that Leigh had been helping him with his writing from the very beginning. Their last series, The Dreamers, was published between 2003 and 2006.
Later Years and Legacy
In 2007, David Eddings had an accidental fire in his office. He was trying to clean his sports car when a small fire started. Luckily, he was okay, but part of his office was damaged.
Sadly, his wife, Leigh Eddings, passed away in February 2007 after being ill for some time. David had taken care of her at home.
David Eddings lived in Carson City, Nevada, and passed away on June 2, 2009. His brother shared that David had been unwell for a while. David left a lot of money to help others. He gave $18 million to his old college, Reed College, to help students and teachers studying languages and literature. He also gave $10 million to a medical center in Denver to help children with asthma, a condition his wife Leigh had throughout her life.
See also
In Spanish: David Eddings para niños
