James Oliver Rigney Jr., professionally known as Robert Jordan, was an American author of epic fantasy, renowned for his magnum opus, The Wheel of Time, a sprawling series of 14 books and a prequel novel, which was completed by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan's untimely passing in 2007.
A prolific writer, Jordan's oeuvre extends beyond the realm of fantasy, as he has also penned original Conan the Barbarian novels, which are widely regarded by fans as some of the finest non-Robert E. Howard efforts in the series.
