Rick Riordan, born Richard Russell Riordan Jr. on June 5, 1964, is a celebrated American author. He is best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which has been translated into forty-two languages and sold more than thirty million copies in the United States alone. His works have given rise to graphic novels, short story collections, and adaptations into films and television series.

Riordan's journey as an author began with his first full-length novel, Big Red Tequila, the inaugural book in the Tres Navarre mystery series. His breakthrough came with the publication of The Lightning Thief in 2005, the first novel in the five-volume Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Since then, he has written several other popular series, including:

• The Heroes of Olympus - A sequel to the Percy Jackson series
• The Kane Chronicles - A trilogy focusing on Egyptian mythology
• Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - A trilogy focusing on Norse mythology

Riordan also contributed to the development of The 39 Clues series by Scholastic Press, penning its first book, The Maze of Bones. In 2021, he published Daughter of the Deep, and his third standalone novel, The Sun and the Star, co-written with author Mark Oshiro, was published on May 2, 2023.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Riordan taught English and history at public and private middle schools for fifteen years. His dedication to teaching was recognized with the Master Teacher Award from Saint Mary’s Hall. Today, over 190 million copies of his books are in print worldwide, and his wife Becky co-produces TV and film adaptations of his works.

Rick Riordan now resides in Boston with his family and continues to write full-time.