David Eddings
A master of accessible, character-driven fantasy whose multi-volume sagas sold millions and became gateway drugs for a generation of readers.
1931–2009 (age 78)·American fantasy writer·Birthday: July 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
David Eddings didn't set out to be a fantasy writer. After a stint in the army and working as a grocery clerk and college English teacher, he found success with contemporary novels before a publisher's advance for a fantasy epic changed his course. What followed was a remarkable second act crafted in close partnership with his wife, Leigh, who was an uncredited but essential collaborator from the start. Together, they built the sprawling worlds of The Belgariad and The Malloreon, series that followed a classic 'farm boy to hero' template but distinguished themselves with witty dialogue, a vast ensemble of memorable characters, and a comforting, predictable rhythm that readers adored. Eddings approached fantasy with a craftsman's eye for plot mechanics rather than high literary ambition, producing books that were reliably entertaining and immensely popular. His later series, like The Elenium, repeated the formula with older, more cynical protagonists, ensuring his place as a dependable pillar of 1980s and '90s genre fiction.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
David was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2009Died at 78
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
Key Achievements
- Co-authored (with his wife Leigh) the bestselling five-book fantasy series 'The Belgariad,' which has sold over 20 million copies.
- Successfully extended the world of The Belgariad with the five-book sequel series 'The Malloreon.'
- Created two additional popular fantasy series, 'The Elenium' and 'The Tamuli,' featuring the knight Sparhawk.
- His novels have been translated into multiple languages and remain in continuous print decades after publication.
Did You Know?
He and his wife Leigh amassed a large collection of medieval weaponry and armor, which they used for reference.
Before writing fantasy, he published several mainstream novels under pseudonyms.
He held a master's degree in English literature from the University of Washington.
The detailed background 'bible' for The Belgariad, written before the novels, was over 1,000 pages long.
“I don't write fantasy, I write novels. They just happen to be set in a world that doesn't exist.”
