Riordan << REER duhn >>, Rick (1964-…), is an American author of fantasy novels for young readers and detective stories for adults. Riordan is best known for his “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series for children. The series centers on a boy who discovers he is the son of a god from Greek mythology. Critics have praised the series for its colorful characters, exciting action, and humor.
Percy Jackson is a boy with a learning disability. He discovers his father is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Throughout the series, Percy finds himself involved in the rivalries and plotting among the Greek gods, who are active in the modern world. Percy shares his adventures with young people who are either mythological characters or have a Greek god or goddess as a parent.
In The Lightning Thief (2005), the first book in the series, Percy must find the lightning bolt of Zeus, king of the gods. The other books in the series are The Sea of Monsters (2006), The Titan’s Curse (2007), The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008), The Last Olympian (2009), and The Chalice of the Gods (2023). Riordan also wrote the sequel series “The Heroes of Olympus.” The books in that series are The Lost Hero (2010), The Son of Neptune (2011), The Mark of Athena (2012), The House of Hades (2013), and The Blood of Olympus (2014). The Demigod Diaries (2012) includes stories, puzzles, interviews, and other features about both series. Riordan’s other “Percy Jackson” books include the companion anthologies Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods (2014) and Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes (2015). A related series, “The Trials of Apollo,” consists of The Hidden Oracle (2016), The Dark Prophecy (2017), The Burning Maze (2018), The Tyrant’s Tomb (2019), and The Tower of Nero (2020).
The “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series has been adapted for motion pictures, television, and theater. The films Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) are based on the first two books in the series. A television series, also called “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” began in 2023. A musical called The Lightning Thief, based on the first book in the series, opened in New York City in 2014. It reopened as a longer musical in 2017.
Riordan created a fantasy series called “The Kane Chronicles” based on Egyptian mythology. The first three books are The Red Pyramid (2010), The Throne of Fire (2011), and The Serpent’s Shadow (2012). Riordan also wrote The Kane Chronicles Survival Guide (2012), a readers’ handbook on the series, and Demigods & Magicians (2016), a related collection of short stories.
Riordan also created a series called “Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard,” based on Norse mythology. The first three books in the series are The Sword of Summer (2015), The Hammer of Thor (2016), and The Ship of the Dead (2017). Stand-alone novels Riordan has written include Daughter of the Deep (2021), a science-fiction story; and The Sun and the Star (2023, co-written with Mark Oshiro), a follow-up to the “Trials of Apollo” series.
Riordan first gained recognition for his “Tres Navarre” adult detective series. Navarre is a private detective who solves cases in Texas. The series began with Big Red Tequila (1997).
Richard Russell Riordan, Jr., was born on June 5, 1964, in San Antonio. He received a B.A. degree from the University of Texas in 1986. Beginning in 1990, Riordan taught at middle schools in California and Texas for several years before becoming a full-time writer.
