Robert Jordan

Robert Jordan (James Oliver Rigney Jr.)

Robert Jordan was an American writer, born on October 17, 1948, in Charleston, South Carolina. He is best known as the author of the epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time.

Early Life and Career

From a young age, Jordan was an avid reader. According to him, he read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain at the age of five. He graduated from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, with a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1974. After graduating, he served as a nuclear engineer in the U.S. Navy and as a helicopter gunner in the Vietnam War.

Before working on The Wheel of Time, Jordan wrote historical novels under the pseudonym Reagan O’Neal. The first book in The Wheel of Time series, The Eye of the World, was published in 1990 and quickly became a bestseller.

The series eventually grew to 14 books and a prequel novel, becoming one of the most significant works in the epic fantasy genre. After Robert Jordan’s passing, The Wheel of Time was completed by Brandon Sanderson based on Jordan’s notes.

The series has been adapted for television by Amazon.

Books by Robert Jordan

The Wheel of Time Series

• New Spring (2004) – Prequel

• The Eye of the World (1990)

• The Great Hunt (1990)

• The Dragon Reborn (1991)

• The Shadow Rising (1992)

• The Fires of Heaven (1993)

• Lord of Chaos (1994)

• A Crown of Swords (1996)

• The Path of Daggers (1998)

• Winter’s Heart (2000)

• Crossroads of Twilight (2003)

• Knife of Dreams (2005)

• The Gathering Storm (2009) – Completed by Brandon Sanderson

• Towers of Midnight (2010) – Completed by Brandon Sanderson

• A Memory of Light (2013) – Completed by Brandon Sanderson

Works Set in the World of The Wheel of Time

• The World of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time (1997)

• The Strike at Shayol Ghul (1996) – Short story

• New Spring (1998) – Novella in the Legends anthology

• Glimmers: Prologue to Crossroads of Twilight (2002) – eBook excerpt with bonus content

• New Spring: The Novel (2004) – Full-length novel

• River of Souls (2013) – Short story, co-authored with Brandon Sanderson

• The Wheel of Time Companion (2015) – Reference guide

• A Fire Within the Ways (2019) – Novella, co-authored with Brandon Sanderson

“Conan” Series (Shared Universe)

• Conan the Invincible (1982)

• Conan the Defender (1982)

• Conan the Triumphant (1983)

• Conan the Unconquered (1983)

• Conan the Destroyer (1984)

• Conan the Magnificent (1984)

• Conan the Victorious (1984)

“Fallon” Series (as Reagan O’Neal)

• The Fallon Blood (1980)

• The Fallon Pride (1981)

• The Fallon Legacy (1982)