I’ve been sick the last few weeks and kind of out of it, so much so that I completely missed the news that one of my favorite authors died last week.  According to Wired:

The world of fantasy literature has lost one of its modern giants. David Eddings, best known for his Malloreon series and The Belgariad,  passed away Tuesday at the age of 77.

Eddings enjoyed a long career of writing popular books of fantasy, many with his wife Leigh, who passed away in 2007 after a stroke. He freely admitted that he got into writing fantasy for the money, after seeing a copy of The Lord of the Rings in its 73rd printing. Whatever his reasons, however, he delivered well-written books that captivated readers with rich characterizations built on familiar plots. He never pretended to be an author of great literature, preferring rather to think of himself as a storyteller.

Eddings passed away in his hometown of Carson City, Nevada of an undisclosed cause.

Definitely one of my top 5 favorite authors.  Most of his books adorn my shelves.  He wil be missed.