David Carroll Eddings was an American fantasy writer. Born on July 7, 1931, he became renowned for his best-selling epic fantasy novel series, many co-authored with his wife, Leigh Eddings. These series include The Belgariad (1982–84), The Malloreon (1987–91), The Elenium (1989–91), The Tamuli (1992–94), and The Dreamers (2003–06). Although Leigh was an uncredited co-author on many of his early books, David later acknowledged her contributions to all his works, officially recognizing her as a co-author from around 1990. David's life was not without controversy, as he and Leigh were sentenced to a year in jail in 1970 after pleading guilty to 11 counts of physical child abuse. Despite the distressing events, his literary works remain influential in the fantasy genre.