Robert Jordan (the pen name of James Oliver Rigney Jr), is one of the most acknowledged fantasy authors today, most notably for the ongoing Wheel of Time series.

Jordan was born in 1948 in Charleston, South Carolina and taught himself to read when he was four with the help of an older brother. By age five he was tackling Mark Twain and Jules Verne.

Jordan is a graduate of The Citadel and the Military College of South Carolina, with a degree in nuclear engineering. He served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army; among his decorations are the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star.

Jordan started his writing career in 1977, mostly publishing history articles. By 1980 his first novel was published, The Fallon Blood, a historical family drama written under the pseudonym of Regan O'Neal. This was followed by two more Fallon books, a western called The Cheyenne Raiders, and then a series of seven Conan novels starting in 1982.

After laboring four years, he finished his first novel in the Wheel of Time fantasy series. Eye of the World was published in 1990 and was immediately hailed by critics and fans alike. It was followed by The Great Hunt (1990), The Dragon Reborn (1992), 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), and Crossroads of Twilight (2002).

the highly anticipated "prequel" to the series, New Spring, was published in January 2004 and hit the bestseller charts within a week of release.

The next installment in the Wheel of Time series, tentatively called Knife of Dreams, is not expected until fall 2005. Jordan does not give away any of the future plot details, but does say he has known the final scene in the final book for a long time.

Jordan currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife, Harriet Baker, an editor for a major publishing house. He enjoys the outdoor sports of hunting, fishing and sailing, as well as poker, chess, pool, and pipe-collecting.

Updated 8/04

• The Fallon Blood (1980)
• The Fallon Pride (1981)
• The Fallon Legacy (1982)
• Cheyenne Raiders (1982)
• Conan the Invincible (1982)
• Conan the Defender (1982)
• Conan the Unconquered (1983)
• Conan the Triumphant (1983)
• Conan the Magnificent (1984)
• Conan the Destroyer (1984)
• Conan the Victorious (1984)
• Eye of the World (1990)
• The Great Hunt (1990)
• The Dragon Reborn (1992)
• Shadow Rising (1992)
• 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 (2002)
• New Spring (2004)