Werthead Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 And his wife too. Shit. This isn't even a Marion Zimmer Bradley, allegations made after death kind of thing. They were arrested, put on trial and they both went to jail for a year in 1970 for imprisoning and torturing their adopted son. Both their adopted son and daughter were removed from their custody and their adoption papers revoked. Eddings lost his job working in academia in South Dakota and they were forced to relocate to another state, Eddings having to take a job working in a grocery store because he couldn't get another job teaching young people for love nor money (and probably legal requirements). There is no suggestion of sexual abuse, but the details of the story are still pretty grim. They had a dog cage in their basement (where several animals lived) that they made their four-year-old adopted son sit in for hours and perhaps days at a time, and inflicted physical punishment on him with a belt and other implements. They were literally caught red-handed in the middle of beating him when the cops showed up and arrested them. After becoming famous, Eddings joked that he left academia because the pay was better working in groceries. In the pre-Internet age the story never came up (in fact, they didn't even change their names, otherwise the story may have never come to light). It should be noted you don't need to go burn your Eddings books: Leigh died in 2007, David in 2009 and all proceeds from their estate now go to Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 WTF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werthead Posted May 2, 2020 Author Share Posted May 2, 2020 35 minutes ago, Darth Richard II said: WTF Big time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilbur Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 Wow. That is terrible and sad on many levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HexMachina Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 That is disgusting and awful. Only a year in prison sounds awfully short given the crime too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 Bloody hell. I've never read Eddings, but ick. Double ick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 God just about everyone I read up til about 10th grade is a child abuser/Nazi/Homophobe at this point. Like I’m just waiting to find out Terry Brooks eats puppies or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 It's an interesting question about how we separate creators from their work. It helps, of course, that Eddings is no longer around, so you don't have to worry about giving him money, but is your enjoyment of the text (which hasn't changed) altered by knowing this? There are arguments either way. I myself cheerfully listen to Wagner, notwithstanding his personal issues, so this won't stop me reading Eddings in future, but I can understand people giving him a wide berth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 It’s just kind of shocking if you’ve read the books and followed the author. They’re VERY I dunno...tame? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IlyaP Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 2 hours ago, Darth Richard II said: Like I’m just waiting to find out Terry Brooks eats puppies or something. It wasn't a puppy. It was a puppy-shaped OLD ONE from the blackest pits of the fthngverse, emerging from its sharehouse with Ry'leh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HexMachina Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 2 hours ago, The Marquis de Leech said: It's an interesting question about how we separate creators from their work. It helps, of course, that Eddings is no longer around, so you don't have to worry about giving him money, but is your enjoyment of the text (which hasn't changed) altered by knowing this? There are arguments either way. I myself cheerfully listen to Wagner, notwithstanding his personal issues, so this won't stop me reading Eddings in future, but I can understand people giving him a wide berth. He was alive when i bought my copies of his books, ick. To your actual point, for me the answer is yes. I don’t think I would ever read anything by J.K. Rowling again now knowing the money is supporting a big old TERF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 I was just thinking of Richard K Morgan actually. As for JKR I’m not sure what she says beyond the initial statement and frankly I’d rather not know til the film series is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IlyaP Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 20 minutes ago, Darth Richard II said: I was just thinking of Richard K Morgan actually. As for JKR I’m not sure what she says beyond the initial statement and frankly I’d rather not know til the film series is done. The initial statement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 Just now, IlyaP said: The initial statement? There was a tweet that set the entire thing off. Looking at stuff now, yeah, she’s a super TERF. God damn. Good thing I have all the HBO books already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derfel Cadarn Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 8 hours ago, Werthead said: And his wife too. Shit. This isn't even a Marion Zimmer Bradley, allegations made after death kind of thing. They were arrested, put on trial and they both went to jail for a year in 1970 for imprisoning and torturing their adopted son. Both their adopted son and daughter were removed from their custody and their adoption papers revoked. Eddings lost his job working in academia in South Dakota and they were forced to relocate to another state, Eddings having to take a job working in a grocery store because he couldn't get another job teaching young people for love nor money (and probably legal requirements). There is no suggestion of sexual abuse, but the details of the story are still pretty grim. They had a dog cage in their basement (where several animals lived) that they made their four-year-old adopted son sit in for hours and perhaps days at a time, and inflicted physical punishment on him with a belt and other implements. They were literally caught red-handed in the middle of beating him when the cops showed up and arrested them. After becoming famous, Eddings joked that he left academia because the pay was better working in groceries. In the pre-Internet age the story never came up (in fact, they didn't even change their names, otherwise the story may have never come to light). It should be noted you don't need to go burn your Eddings books: Leigh died in 2007, David in 2009 and all proceeds from their estate now go to Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Bloody hell! The only books I still own of theirs is the Belgariad/Mallorean. Will definitely colour a re-read, if I do another one. Surprised they never used pennames or that it never came out in the 2000’s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljkeane Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 Bloody hell indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werthead Posted May 3, 2020 Author Share Posted May 3, 2020 9 hours ago, Darth Richard II said: It’s just kind of shocking if you’ve read the books and followed the author. They’re VERY I dunno...tame? There is a non sequitur sequence in the Elenium where one of the characters' sons talks back to him and he immediately takes his belt off and cows the child into submission. If you read The Rivan Codex, Eddings makes a thing about how much more money they could make by making the books YA/kid-friendly, but this meant them not being able to put in more adult material, not because they didn't want to. Their money-grubbing attitude in that book is quite something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGP Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 Double UGH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoë Sumra Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 7 hours ago, Werthead said: There is a non sequitur sequence in the Elenium where one of the characters' sons talks back to him and he immediately takes his belt off and cows the child into submission. If you read The Rivan Codex, Eddings makes a thing about how much more money they could make by making the books YA/kid-friendly, but this meant them not being able to put in more adult material, not because they didn't want to. Their money-grubbing attitude in that book is quite something. Now, I don't approve of book-burning, but am currently strongly considering book-dumping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maltaran Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 8 hours ago, Werthead said: If you read The Rivan Codex, Eddings makes a thing about how much more money they could make by making the books YA/kid-friendly, but this meant them not being able to put in more adult material, not because they didn't want to. Their money-grubbing attitude in that book is quite something. He was always quite open that he started writing fantasy because he saw a copy of LOTR on something like its 30th edition and realised he could make lots of money out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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