Robert Jordan

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For other people named Robert Jordan, see Robert Jordan (disambiguation).

Robert Jordan
Jordan during 2005.
Jordan during 2005.
BornJames Oliver Rigney Jr.
(1948-10-17)October 17, 1948
Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedSeptember 16, 2007(2007-09-16) (aged 58)
Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
OccupationNovelist
GenreFantasy
Notable worksThe Wheel of Time
SpouseHarriet McDougal
Signature

James Oliver Rigney Jr. (October 17, 1948 – September 16, 2007), better known by his pseudonym Robert Jordan,[1] was an American author of epic fantasy. He is known best for his series the Wheel of Time (finished by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan's death) which comprises 14 books and a prequel novel. He is one of several writers to have written original Conan the Barbarian novels.[2] Jordan also published historical fiction using the pseudonym Reagan O'Neal, a western as Jackson O'Reilly, and dance criticism as Chang Lung. Rigney claimed to have ghostwritten an "international thriller" that is still believed to have been written by someone else.[3]

Early life[edit]

Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner.[4] He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm.[5] After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel, where he received an undergraduate degree in physics; after graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer.[6] He began writing in 1977.

Personal life[edit]

Jordan was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe-collecting. He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian[6] and received communion more than once a week.[7] He lived with his wife, Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.[8]

Illness and death[edit]

On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis and that, with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years.[9] In a separate weblog post, he encouraged his fans not to worry about him and stated that he intended to have a long and creative life.[10]

He began chemotherapy at Mayo Clinic during early April 2006.[11] He participated with a study of the drug Revlimid, which had been approved recently for multiple myeloma but not yet tested for primary amyloidosis.[12]

Jordan died on September 16, 2007,[13] and his funeral service was on September 19, 2007.[14] He was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston, South Carolina.[15][16]

Jordan's papers can be found in the special collections of the College of Charleston.[17]

Selected works[edit]

Main article: List of works by Robert Jordan

The Wheel of Time[edit]

Main article: The Wheel of Time
  1. New Spring (2004); prequel set 20 years before the events of the first novel
  2. The Eye of the World (1990)
  3. The Great Hunt (1990)
  4. The Dragon Reborn (1991)
  5. The Shadow Rising (1992)
  6. The Fires of Heaven (1993)
  7. Lord of Chaos (1994)
  8. A Crown of Swords (1996)
  9. The Path of Daggers (1998)
  10. Winter's Heart (2000)
  11. Crossroads of Twilight (2003)
  12. Knife of Dreams (2005)
  13. The Gathering Storm (2009); co-authored by Brandon Sanderson
  14. Towers of Midnight (2010); co-authored by Brandon Sanderson
  15. A Memory of Light (2013); co-authored by Brandon Sanderson

Conan the Barbarian[edit]

Main article: Conan the Barbarian
  1. Conan the Invincible (1982)
  2. Conan the Defender (1982)
  3. Conan the Unconquered (1983)
  4. Conan the Triumphant (1983)
  5. Conan the Magnificent (1984)
  6. Conan the Destroyer (1984)
  7. Conan the Victorious (1984)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Robert Jordan" was the name of the protagonist in the 1940 Hemingway novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, though this is not how the name was chosen according to a 1997 interview he did on the DragonCon SciFi Channel Chat.
  2. ^ "Walking Through the Valley..: What I'm Reading - 8/26/10". August 31, 2010.
  3. ^ Ross (September 2005). "Radio Dead Air Interview with Robert Jordan". Radio Dead Air. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  4. ^ McQueeney, W. Thomas (2017). The Rise of Charleston: Conversations with Visionaries, Luminaries & Emissaries of the Holy City. The History Press. p. 242. ISBN 978-1625858597. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  5. ^ "Robert Jordan". Obituaries. The Daily Telegraph. September 21, 2007. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Jordan, Robert (June 1, 2007). "(untitled)". Dragonmount, the Robert Jordan blog. Archived from the original on July 5, 2007.
  7. ^ Denzel, Jason (September 27, 2007). "My Journey to Robert Jordan's Funeral". Dragonmount, the Robert Jordan blog. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
  8. ^ "Robert Jordan and the Wheel of Time". Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  9. ^ "Letter from Robert Jordan". Locus Online. March 23, 2006.
  10. ^ Jordan, Robert (March 24, 2006). "Sorry about the premature announcement". Dragonmount.
  11. ^ Jordan, Robert (March 25, 2006). "Important note". Tor Books.
  12. ^ "Important note from Robert Jordan". March 25, 2005. Archived from the original on April 5, 2006.
  13. ^ "Jordan's death". Dragonmount. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  14. ^ "James Oliver Rigney Jr". The Post and Courier. September 20, 2007. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012.
  15. ^ "Robert Jordan (1948 - 2007)". Find a Grave. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  16. ^ ""The Stone" - Entry in Robert Jordan's Blog at Dragonmount, dated October 6, 2008". Dragonmount.com. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  17. ^ "Inventory of the James Oliver Rigney, Jr., Papers, 1905-2012". archives.library.cofc.edu. Retrieved January 7, 2019.

Further reading[edit]

  • "Robert Jordan". The Times. September 19, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2007.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Jordan&oldid=1006982911"