[Cold Iron]

Eddings was huge for me. He was the third fantasy series I read after Lewis and Tolkein and the first that I reread. Between the ages of 14-16 I read through all 16 instalments of the first 4 series 6 times each, as well as about 3 times each for the 2 stand alones on Belgarath and Polgara. Sad though I may be now that I didn't use all that reading time to find out what else was out there I thoroughly enjoyed those years and remember them fondly.

RIP

[MTS]

It's really a testament to his skill and readability in reaching young readers that the Belgariad is still a gateway fanasy series for many over 25 years after it was written.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

When I was quite young, I read the Belgariad, the mallorean, the Elenium, and the Tamuli at least ten times. I sent them to my dad who was stationed in korea, and he left them there. So, I rebought them. I absolutely loved Eddings back then. While my tastes have changed (no need to go too deep into that in a RIP thread) I am still saddened by this. I wouldn't be reading fantasy now if not for this man.

[drinksinbars]

great books when i was young, pretty much my intro to fantasy genre.

[Giles]

RIP

As many others have said his books were among the first fantasy i read.

[Abyss]

I realize i'm reiterating what so many posted upthread, but yeah, the Belgariad yanked me into fantasy more than Tolkien, Alexander, Brookes and Feist combined, and to this day Silk remains on my list of greatest fantasy characters ever.

I grew away from DE's writing as i got older, but i'm saddened by this. He was, in his own way, a prolific and successful writer and he will be missed.

And i'm pissed that this means he will never write that five part series where Silk just pwns everyone and sheboings a lot.

- Abyss, ...will use the phrase "One does one's humble best." repeatedly today in his honour...

[dktorode]

R.I.P
mr. Eddings

May your books keep giving children as much enjoyment as they did to me when i was a wee lad.

[Tuberski]

Macros, on Jun 3 2009, 01:18 PM, said:

too old now apt, you won't enjoy them.
Enjoyed the Belgariad when I was young, Mallorean was ok, but obviously a rehash, Tamuli, oh gods poor,
Althalus.....................
Elder gods........................................................................

the dots are for me not wanting to bad mouth the recently deceased, but they were shit.
Still RIP David, thoughts to Leigh and the rest of the family, the belgariad was a key series in my road into fantasy

His wife Leigh died in 2007.

He knew what his books were all about:

Quote

Eddings was famously old-fashioned, never using a typewriter or computer (he wrote out his scripts in long-hand) and was well-known for being self-effacing, once remarking, "I'm never going to be in danger of getting a Nobel Prize for literature." He was most pleased when told that his books had turned nonreaders into booklovers. "I look upon this as perhaps my purpose in life," he explained in a 1997 interview. "I am here to teach a generation or two how to read. After they've finished with me and I don't challenge them any more, they can move on to somebody important like Homer or Milton."

Pretty much sums up his career.

This post has been edited by Tuberski: 05 June 2009 - 03:07 PM

[teholbeddict]

Tuberski, on Jun 5 2009, 10:07 AM, said:

He knew what his books were all about:

Quote

Eddings was famously old-fashioned, never using a typewriter or computer (he wrote out his scripts in long-hand) and was well-known for being self-effacing, once remarking, "I'm never going to be in danger of getting a Nobel Prize for literature." He was most pleased when told that his books had turned nonreaders into booklovers. "I look upon this as perhaps my purpose in life," he explained in a 1997 interview. "I am here to teach a generation or two how to read. After they've finished with me and I don't challenge them any more, they can move on to somebody important like Homer or Milton."

Pretty much sums up his career.

Wow that is fantastic! I would say then that he definitely achieved his purpose in life and even surpassed it. Almost every person who has replied to this thread has stated that the works of Eddings were a doorway for them, or introduced them to reading on a whole. How many people decide they have a mission in life and actually achieve it and on such a huge level. It really is incredible what he managed to do for so many people through his writing. His candour is incredibly refreshing, there are no illusions of grandeur there. He set out to do something and did it. Clearly he was quite happy doing what he did and in his own way he was definitely important. You don't have to be Milton or Homer to have an impact on people's lives.

[Pallol One Eye]

RIP David Eddings.

Only ever read the Belgariad and Mallorean back in the day. Enjoyed them then. Would probably pass on them today.

Putting it in perspective though, when he first published Pawn of Prophecy, there wasn't that much Fantasy to be found on Bookstore shelves (Tolkein, Donaldson, Moorcock, Brooks, Feist, Lieber, Howard, LeGuin), there was no were near the selection. It was good for its time and deserves its spot in the History of Fantasy Fiction.

[Bhurnae]

RIP and Thank You

[koryk]

Fond memories of the Belgariad, one of the first of the post-1977 fantasy watershed, following on closely from Brooks. I was Durnik!

RIP

[Assail]

Everyone has pretty much covered it here. He was one of first authors I ever read. I can still remember being 9 and coming out of the library with the maximum amount of books able to be checked out (20 or some such number) and his many series comprising a chunk of those books lol. David and Leigh did a lot of people a huge service, not only drawing them into fantasy, but providing material that wasn't half bad either (Can't say the same for books like Twilight, but it's how it is). Both of them are going to be sorely missed, and yeah, it's a sad thing that we're never going to see the series of Silk boinking and tearing fools up either. Ah, sad days man.

Is it just me or does it seems some of the greater authors are dying off?

[MTS]

The older generation are getting on, yeah. Feist is in his late 50s/early 60s now I think, Eddings is dead, Donaldson is in his 60s, so is Glen Cook and Modessit and Brooks, Jordan's gone...it is sad, and we'll cherish their legacy, because they've paved the way for the newer generation of authors.

[Assail]

Mappo's Travelling Sack, on Jun 8 2009, 10:02 PM, said:

The older generation are getting on, yeah. Feist is in his late 50s/early 60s now I think, Eddings is dead, Donaldson is in his 60s, so is Glen Cook and Modessit and Brooks, Jordan's gone...it is sad, and we'll cherish their legacy, because they've paved the way for the newer generation of authors.

Yeah, there's a lot of young talent coming up (Butcher, Patrick Rothfuss) but of course they're never going to replace the older blokes when they pass on. I mean, I'm still young myself but I hope that kids who are stuck on shit like Twilight and whatnot some day come to cherish and respect what the older fellas did for the genre and everything.

God, could you imagine what the Fantasy genre would be like if Tolkien were still around? And he's just one man. I would have loved to see some of the greater authors collaborate and produce some pieces of literature. Ah well.

[Abyss]

I dunno, there's something to be said for progress. It's hugely subjective of course, but few of those classic authors are quite as good as they were when they were the only ones doing what they do. That said, the next gen of writers who evolved are churning out a product which is similar but different over a broad scope.

Eddings and others who came around say post Tolkien between Brookes and early Jordan were very much the 'high fantasy, farm boy saves the world, form a party, raid the dungeon, kill the darklord' types. Of course, at the same time there were writers like Andre Norton who were producing some fairly edgy stuff for their time albeit somewhat under the radar. The genre has changed since then so the Erikson, Esslemont, Butcher, Rothfuss, Abercrombie etc generation has a different impression of how fantasy 'should' be. But the Belgariad is still a classic, as much as Prydain or Narnia in its own way, and i imagine there will still be young readers who are drawn in the way most of the above posters were.

- Abyss, notes that, of course, Silk is still da man.

[Salt-Man Z]

I'm just waiting to hear the news that Richard Adams ("Watership Down") has died. The man's 89 now. I've pretty much resigned myself to never getting a third novel set in the Beklan Empire...

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Well...this comes as a shock.

R.I.P. David Eddings. I think your books are shallow and generic, but back in the day they were terrific, and I confess I still read them (sometimes). They'll never be as good as Malazan or other stuff, but it's pretty good for young adults.

Bye-bye.