Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney Jr., an American author best known for his epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time. Born on October 17, 1948, in Charleston, South Carolina, he began writing in the 1970s and published his first novel in 1977. Jordan's The Wheel of Time series, which consists of 14 books, is renowned for its intricate world-building and complex characters. The first book, The Eye of the World, was published in 1990, and the series has since gained a massive following, influencing the fantasy genre significantly. Jordan passed away on September 16, 2007.