Robert Jordan Books in Order
James Oliver Rigney Jr., writing as Robert Jordan, transformed from a Vietnam veteran and nuclear engineer into one of fantasy's most influential authors. Born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1948, Jordan served two tours as a helicopter gunner, earning a Bronze Star before returning to earn a physics degree from The Citadel. After writing Conan novels and historical fiction under various pseudonyms, he conceived The Wheel of Time in 1984 as a six-book series that would let him explore myth, politics, and human nature without constraints. The series grew to a planned fourteen books as Jordan's meticulous worldbuilding, featuring thousands of pages of notes, created a universe too rich for simpler telling.
When diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis in 2006, Jordan continued working until his final days, dictating when he could no longer type and ensuring Brandon Sanderson would have everything needed to complete the series. His death in 2007 left millions fearing his epic would remain unfinished, but his extensive preparation allowed Sanderson to complete the final three volumes. Jordan's legacy extends beyond The Wheel of Time's completion to his proof that fantasy literature could support the complexity and depth of any literary fiction, forever raising the bar for what readers expect from epic fantasy.
All Robert Jordan Book Series
