Rick Riordan | Biography, Books, & Facts (2024)

American author and teacher

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

External Websites

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

  • Rick Riordan - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Print

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

Feedback

Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

  • Rick Riordan - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Also known as: Richard Russell Riordan, Jr.

Written and fact-checked by

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: ‱Article History

Rick Riordan

See all media

In full:
Richard Russell Riordan, Jr.
Born:
June 5, 1964, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. (age 60)
Notable Works:
“39 Clues”
“Heroes of Olympus”
“Kane Chronicles”
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians”
“The Trials of Apollo”

See all related content →

Rick Riordan (born June 5, 1964, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.) is an American author and teacher who was perhaps best known for his hugely popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series, which blends Greek mythology with modern-day characters and settings.

Riordan attended North Texas State University (now University of North Texas) in Denton before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin, from which he graduated with bachelor’s degrees in history and English. He then received his teacher’s certification from the University of Texas at San Antonio. After teaching middle school in Texas and California for about 15 years, Riordan quit to dedicate himself to writing full-time.

Britannica QuizClassic Children’s Books Quiz

Riordan began his professional writing career with a mystery series centring on private investigator Jackson (“Tres”) Navarre. The first book, Big Red Tequila, was published in 1997, and the seventh and final installment, Rebel Island, appeared in 2007.

He began writing for young adults after his son asked him to tell bedtime stories involving Greek gods. Once he related all the myths he knew, Riordan began making up stories, and the idea for Percy Jackson was created. Percy is a 12-year-old boy with both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia, and he embarks on various adventures after learning that he is a demigod. The five-book series included The Lightning Thief (2005; film 2010), The Sea of Monsters (2006; film 2013), The Titan’s Curse (2007), The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008), and The Last Olympian (2009).

Continuing to explore mythology, Riordan wrote the Heroes of Olympus series. Although it features a new set of main characters, individuals from the Percy Jackson series occasionally make appearances. The five books in the series were 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). A sequel series, The Trials of Apollo, began with The Hidden Oracle (2016) and featured four subsequent installments: The Dark Prophecy (2017), The Burning Maze (2018), The Tyrant’s Tomb (2019), and The Tower of Nero (2020).

During this time, Riordan also wrote the Kane Chronicles, a trilogy involving Egyptian mythology: The Red Pyramid (2010), The Throne of Fire (2011), and The Serpent’s Shadow (2012). He then turned to Norse mythology with the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard trilogy: The Sword of Summer (2015), The Hammer of Thor (2016), and The Ship of the Dead (2017). Daughter of the Deep, a modern-day reimagining of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, was published in 2021. In addition, he created the overall story line for the 39 Clues series, about two children who race around the world searching for hidden clues. The adventure series features books written by different authors—Riordan penned the first book, The Maze of Bones (2008), and cowrote the 11th installment, Vespers Rising (2011)—and includes additional cards and Internet gaming activities.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Rick Riordan | Biography, Books, & Facts (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Margart Wisoky

Last Updated:

Views: 6221

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (58 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Margart Wisoky

Birthday: 1993-05-13

Address: 2113 Abernathy Knoll, New Tamerafurt, CT 66893-2169

Phone: +25815234346805

Job: Central Developer

Hobby: Machining, Pottery, Rafting, Cosplaying, Jogging, Taekwondo, Scouting

Introduction: My name is Margart Wisoky, I am a gorgeous, shiny, successful, beautiful, adventurous, excited, pleasant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.