Who wrote the 'Percy Jackson' series?

Rick Riordan wrote the “Percy Jackson” series, beginning with “Percy Jackson & the Olympians,” a fantasy adventure series rooted in Greek mythology. The books follow Percy, a modern American boy who discovers that he is a demigod and the son of Poseidon.

The original five-book series began with “The Lightning Thief” in 2005 and continued through “The Last Olympian” in 2009. Riordan combines ancient gods, monsters, prophecies, and heroic quests with contemporary settings such as New York and the United States. This modern-myth approach helped make classical mythology accessible to a large young readership.

The idea began as bedtime stories Riordan told his son, Haley, who was studying Greek mythology. Riordan also drew on his experience as a teacher. Percy’s ADHD and dyslexia are presented as traits connected to his demigod identity, making perceived difficulties part of his strengths.

Riordan later expanded the setting through series including “The Heroes of Olympus,” “The Trials of Apollo,” and “The Kane Chronicles,” which explores Egyptian mythology. The films and Disney+ adaptation are based on his work, but Riordan is the original author.