David Eddings [The Belgariad series] -- This is like Bonanza, or like I Love Lucy. There will be other fantasy series, but there can never be another that's so seminal, that so captures the essence of fantasy. Big Dave and Little Leigh grow their heroes from the ground up, and they grow the best.
--Veronica Chapman, Senior Editor
David Eddings was born in Spokane, Washington State, in 1931, and was raised in the Puget Sound David Eddings (1931-2009) published his first novel, High Hunt, in 1973, before turning to the field of fantasy with the Belgariad, soon followed by the Malloreon. Born in Spokane, Washington, and raised in the Puget Sound area north of Seattle, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, in 1954, and a master of arts degree from the University of Washington in 1961. He served in the US Army, worked as a buyer for the Boeing Company, and was both a grocery clerk and a college English teacher. He lived in Nevada until his death, at the age of 77.