Robert Jordan ( October 17 , 1948 - September 16 , 2007 ) was the pen or writing name of the American fantasy author James Oliver Rigney Jr. . Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney , Jr. ( October 17 , 1948 -- September 16 , 2007 ) , under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series .