Eric Jerome Dickey, Best-Selling Novelist, Dies at 59

Eric Jerome Dickey, a New York Times best-selling author known for his novels exploring contemporary Black life, has died at age 59.

The renowned writer of 29 books including “Sister, Sister” and the Gideon series lost a battle with cancer on Sunday, according to NBC News.

“Eric Jerome Dickey loved being a writer and all that it encompassed. He loved challenging himself with each book; he adored his readers and beloved fans and was always grateful for his success,” Amanda Walker, publicity director at Penguin Random House’s Dutton imprint, told Entertainment Weekly. ” We are proud to have been his publisher over the span of his award-winning career. He will truly be missed.”

Also Read: Listen to Alex Trebek's Touching Message in One of His Last Ever 'Jeopardy!' Episodes (Video)

Dickey was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1961 and attended Memphis State University. He later moved to Los Angeles to become an engineer before deciding to branch out into acting and stand-up comedy. From there he began writing short stories and screenplays including “Cappucino,” which was made into a film, and eventually moved on to writing novels spanning several genres including fiction, love, erotica, and suspense.

“Sleeping With Strangers,” the first novel in the Gideon series, won Dickey the 2007 Fiction Author of the Year award. In addition to the New York Times’ list, his novels have been on the Blackboard and Wall Street Journal best-seller lists. Two of his books, “Friends and Lovers” and “Cheaters,” were adapted into touring theatrical productions. He also wrote the 2007 Marvel Comics miniseries “Storm,” which detailed the love story between the “X-Men” character Storm and Black Panther.

His other novels include “Thieve’s Paradise,” “Milk in My Coffee,” “Chasing Destiny,” “The Other Woman,” “Resurrecting Midnight,” “An Accidental Affair,” and “Decadence.”

8 Ways 'Jeopardy!' Legend Alex Trebek Made the World a Better Place (Photos)

This week, the very last "Jeopardy!" episodes hosted by the late great Alex Trebek before he died Nov. 8 are airing on TV. To remember the beloved longtime host, here are eight ways Trebek made the world a better place, courtesy of Lisa Rogak's biography, "Who Is Alex Trebek?", out now from Macmillan Publishers.
He was vocal about climate change

“I believe that climate change exists and is contributed to by human activity,” he said in a 2014 interview with the online publication Salon.
Getty Images
He helped make "Jeopardy!" more inclusive

Trebek worked to attract Black contestants to the show and increase the number of categories about African American subjects. “We are trying our darnedest to make America more aware of the accomplishments of Black people in this country,” he told journalist Chuck Taylor in a 1995 Seattle Times story called “Jeopardy Host Defends Show’s Record on Race.”
Photo credit: NBC
He brought different generations together

"Jeopardy!" was a show that family members of all ages could watch together and bond over. “There’s something for kids and grandparents,” he said in a 2007 interview with Barrie Nedler of the Television Academy Foundation. “You can all spend a half hour together without feeling you have to flee the room to go watch your own show.”
Jeopardy Prods.
He donated millions to charity

In addition to launching the Trebek Family Foundation with his wife Jean in 2011, he was also known to help people around the world, from working with famine victims in Ethiopia to serving dinner at a homeless shelter in Los Angeles. “I wanted to do more than just send in a contribution,” he said in an interview on the "Charlie Rose Show" in 2006.
ABC News
He supported the military

He was known to tour with the USO (United Service Organization) to small military bases in far-flung locations. “You always hear about celebrities entertaining troops when we’re in a fighting situation," he told Nedler. "But where are they when we’re not fighting?”
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
He was always humble

Despite being famous and beloved by fans for decades, Trebek never let it get to his head. “The biggest asset I bring to [the show] is that I’m a common man,” he said in the Nedler interview.
Sony Pictures Television
He raised awareness about pancreatic cancer

After his diagnosis, he was very vocal about the disease on air and spoke with others who were also struggling with it. “I tried to cheer [one woman] up as best I could,” he told CTV journalist Lisa Laflamme in 2019.
ABC
His thirst for knowledge was contagious

Trebek raised curiosity and made fans want to learn more. “I’m curious about everything, even things that don't interest me,” he once said in A.J. Jacobs' book "The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World."
Getty Images

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As the late host’s final episodes air this week, we present highlights via Lisa Rogak’s biography

This week, the very last "Jeopardy!" episodes hosted by the late great Alex Trebek before he died Nov. 8 are airing on TV. To remember the beloved longtime host, here are eight ways Trebek made the world a better place, courtesy of Lisa Rogak's biography, "Who Is Alex Trebek?", out now from Macmillan Publishers.

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8 Ways 'Jeopardy!' Legend Alex Trebek Made the World a Better Place (Photos)

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