Post: #1

His books were an inspiration to me when I was younger and looking to write, and I'm sure a bunch of us have played Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell and/or seen movies like "The Hunt For Red October", "The Sum of All Fears", "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger". RIP.

'The Hunt for Red October' author Tom Clancy dies at age 66

Quote:Celebrated author Tom Clancy, who became famous for best-sellers like “The Hunt for Red October” and “Patriot Games,” died on Tuesday. He was 66.

Clancy died at Johns Hopkins Hospital after a brief illness, the Baltimore Sun reports.

David Shanks, an executive personally involved in publishing all of Clancy's books, released a statement saying: "I'm deeply saddened by Tom's passing. He was a consummate author, creating the modern-day thriller, and was one of the most visionary storytellers of our time. I will miss him dearly and he will be missed by tens of millions of readers worldwide."

Ivan Held, President and Publisher of Penguin's G.P. Putnam's Sons imprint, added that Clancy was "ahead of the news curve and sometimes frighteningly prescient. To publish a Tom Clancy book was a thrill every time."

Born in Baltimore, Md., Clancy first hit the best-seller lists in 1984 with "The Hunt for Red October." He sold the manuscript to the first publisher he tried, the Naval Institute Press, which had never bought original fiction.

By a stroke of luck, President Reagan got "Red October" as a Christmas gift and quipped at a dinner that he was losing sleep because he couldn't put the book down, a statement Clancy later said helped put him on the New York Times best-seller list.

A string of successful books followed, including "Red Storm Rising," "Patriot Games," "The Cardinal of the Kremlin," "Clear and Present Danger," "The Sum of All Fears," and "Without Remorse."

Many of Clancy's works were turned into blockbuster movies starring the likes of Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck. The latest, based on his desk-jockey CIA hero Jack Ryan, is set for release later this year. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Chris Pine, "Jack Ryan: Shadow One" is set for release in the U.S. on Christmas Day.

In addition to motion pictures, Clancy even ventured into video games with the best-selling "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier," "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction" and "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent."

Outside of his creative work, Clancy was a supporter of the Republican Party and became a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association in 1978. Clancy was also a part owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.

In 1999, Clancy married freelance journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn. He was previously married to his college sweetheart Wanda Thomas. They had four children together.

Clancy's latest novel, "Command Authority," is slated to be released in December 2013.

Post: #2

A huge loss. Terrific writer. And I'm saying that as not a big fan of his books - but I can't ignore literary greatness when I see it.

Post: #3

I think it was Warren Ellis who said that Clancy's books were pure literature, because every page has only one purpose: to get you to read the next page.

Every sentence is chosen to drive you forward to the next one. I've gone through a few of his books, and for doorstops they take almost no time to read because they're so engrossing. Can't remember much about any of them now, but that's not what they're for.

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold

Post: #4

Loved his books may he RIP.

Post: #5

Enjoyed his books and related movies. Sad that he's gone.

Post: #6

Dropped his wife and married a younger hotter Filipina after he published.

Game recognized.

Post: #7

(10-02-2013 06:21 PM)JimNortonFan Wrote:  Dropped his wife and married a younger hotter Filipina after he published.

She's actually of Jamaican heritage. Her father was born in Harlem to immigrants from the island.

Post: #8

I've noticed that the most successful popular fiction authors are the ones who find a particular niche and stick with it, milking the same formulas over and over again.

Steven King: horror & supernatural fiction. Formula: Horror told through the vehicle of human relationships and spirituality
John Grisham: works a whole fictional story around a few legal principles or ideas.
Tom Clancy: Lovingly dwells on technology and hardware to weave a complex story of war/intrigue/suspense.
Michael Crichton: Used some idea about technology to spin a whole story around it. All his books are the same formula, repeated again and again.
Maybe this is how the fiction market works. I'm not knocking it, just making an observation.

I was never a fan of Tom Clancy, but I have to give him much props for his success. He found a formula and knew how to make a very good living out of it.
My take-away lesson: if you want to write, stick with what you like or know, find a formula that works, and polish it to a high degree of perfection. Specialize, specialize.

Post: #9

Not only did I enjoy his writing, several of his characters (notably Jack Ryan, John Kelly, and Ding Chavez) served as examples of masculinity for me in high school. RIP.

Favorite book was Rainbow Six.

Post: #10

(10-02-2013 07:57 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  I've noticed that the most successful popular fiction authors are the ones who find a particular niche and stick with it, milking the same formulas over and over again.

Steven King: horror & supernatural fiction. Formula: Horror told through the vehicle of human relationships and spirituality
John Grisham: works a whole fictional story around a few legal principles or ideas.
Tom Clancy: Lovingly dwells on technology and hardware to weave a complex story of war/intrigue/suspense.
Michael Crichton: Used some idea about technology to spin a whole story around it. All his books are the same formula, repeated again and again.
Maybe this is how the fiction market works. I'm not knocking it, just making an observation.

I was never a fan of Tom Clancy, but I have to give him much props for his success. He found a formula and knew how to make a very good living out of it.
My take-away lesson: if you want to write, stick with what you like or know, find a formula that works, and polish it to a high degree of perfection. Specialize, specialize.

The formula makes the reader feel smart when they read it because "OMG I'm so smart, I totally saw that coming!"

Great lit should reveal aspects of the universe that are too difficult to study scientifically. Check out Michel Houllebecq. His stuff is Red Pill and fits in with evolution.

None of the authors on your list are worth reading. I stayed in a lodge and ended up reading a Patricia Cornwell novel. 100% pure narcissism. The protagonist it a rank narcissist. Only a sick society would put her books on the top ten list. Turns out Cornwell ruined a good painting trying to find evidence of who Jack the Ripper was.

Ultimate formula writers: Louis Lamour, Ian Fleming

Post: #11

Great author. Clear and Present Danger is one of the best books I've ever picked up.

Post: #12

(10-02-2013 08:13 PM)JimNortonFan Wrote:  

(10-02-2013 07:57 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  I've noticed that the most successful popular fiction authors are the ones who find a particular niche and stick with it, milking the same formulas over and over again.

Steven King: horror & supernatural fiction. Formula: Horror told through the vehicle of human relationships and spirituality
John Grisham: works a whole fictional story around a few legal principles or ideas.
Tom Clancy: Lovingly dwells on technology and hardware to weave a complex story of war/intrigue/suspense.
Michael Crichton: Used some idea about technology to spin a whole story around it. All his books are the same formula, repeated again and again.
Maybe this is how the fiction market works. I'm not knocking it, just making an observation.

I was never a fan of Tom Clancy, but I have to give him much props for his success. He found a formula and knew how to make a very good living out of it.
My take-away lesson: if you want to write, stick with what you like or know, find a formula that works, and polish it to a high degree of perfection. Specialize, specialize.

The formula makes the reader feel smart when they read it because "OMG I'm so smart, I totally saw that coming!"

Great lit should reveal aspects of the universe that are too difficult to study scientifically. Check out Michel Houllebecq. His stuff is Red Pill and fits in with evolution.

None of the authors on your list are worth reading. I stayed in a lodge and ended up reading a Patricia Cornwell novel. 100% pure narcissism. The protagonist it a rank narcissist. Only a sick society would put her books on the top ten list. Turns out Cornwell ruined a good painting trying to find evidence of who Jack the Ripper was.

Ultimate formula writers: Louis Lamour, Ian Fleming

_____________________

Jim:
I agree with you that those authors I listed are throwaway pulp novelists. Our time is valuable, and it's better to read something that teaches us something. But very occasionally, it can be fun to dive into the trash heap.

Post: #13

Entertainment and leiterary value:

Ralph Peters. He writes thrillers that have literary value.

Post: #14

Why did they not report on cause of death yet? AIDS? auto-asphyxiation, perhaps?

Post: #15

R.I.P. old boy.

"The Hunt for Red October" was one of my favorite movies as a kid. It was the gateway drug to reading and enjoying bunch of his novels, though I'll confess I didn't get into any of the recent ones.

I felt inspired to watch it again the other night and it's without doubt it's a superb hollywood action film. Moves along at a good pace and there's not an ounce of fat in it.

Now that I've started learning some Russian I can pick out how bad some of the "Russ-glish" is (Connery's is the worst haha)...it doesn't matter though.

In some ways it made me miss the Cold War, when we knew we were the good guys, and the USSR the bad guys. Of course when I make such a statement, I know I'm looking at it partly through a child's eyes, nostalgia and all that, but it just doesn't feel like that anymore.

Post: #16

FYI - there is a series on Amazon Prime called Jack Ryan. Same character, but set in present day. Frankly, its better than the films because the action is better and setting are more realistic/contemporary. Character is the same for the most part - ordinary guy analyst called on to do extraordinary things. Main character is Jim from the Office. He looks different. He's OK, but prior Jack Ryan's were better. But this series is worth watching if you like Clancy or action shows like the old 24.

The MSM labeled this some sort of redpill show which is why I picked it up. Its not any more redpill than 24. But you'll probably enjoy it.

RIP T.C.

Post: #17

(09-17-2018 06:23 PM)Hypno Wrote:  FYI - there is a series on Amazon Prime called Jack Ryan. Same character, but set in present day. Frankly, its better than the films because the action is better and setting are more realistic/contemporary. Character is the same for the most part - ordinary guy analyst called on to do extraordinary things. Main character is Jim from the Office. He looks different. He's OK, but prior Jack Ryan's were better. But this series is worth watching if you like Clancy or action shows like the old 24.

The MSM labeled this some sort of redpill show which is why I picked it up. Its not any more redpill than 24. But you'll probably enjoy it.

RIP T.C.

Why they didn't follow the entire Ryanverse -11 Books- BOGGLES my mind.

Begin with Without Remorse -where we first meet the greatest fictional operator ever: John Clark, Vietnam vet with his own island as he unleashes on thugs in Baltimore.

And end with Bear and The Dragon.

These books got me through Iraq as a young 0331 and got me into reading.

You could do a season for each book or maybe 2 books per season and this would absolutely be the greatest TV show ever, IMO.

Post: #18

WTF???? He was fucking 66. Only 6 years older than me. "Died of a brief illness"??? Fuck.

Post: #19

Great points Monty, they could of used a ton of story lines from Tom's books.

I read all of his book voraciously as a kid in Jr. High.

I'm on Episode 2 of Jack Ryan - so far it's pretty fucking good for adapting it to the modern world.

I like the shit talking between Jack and his Boss and how they fuck with the higher ups. I think they're going to make a great team.

They also give a nod to how Paris/France has a terrorist hub and how unofficially we still have boots on the grounds where we're not supposed to.

I know there might be some SJW bullshit but so far I'm liking it.

Post: #20

I watched the first season of Jack Ryan on Amazon.
It's really good.
The main duo works well to my point of view. As a first season it's intense and brings up some valid points.
John Krasinski is nothing like the Office role (granted I am not a fan of the Office and haven't seen much of it.), he is jacked since the movie "13 hours" (who I think is a great one!), he does a good job in this role and I really hope for a more intense season 2!

Post: #21

Monty just be thankful there is an entire ly new and contemporary storyline to enjoy.

Post: #22

I only read a little bit of his work. I read his last book, Command Authority, published around the time that he died in late 2013, and it was ironic because the plot of the book was about a fictional Russian invasion of Ukraine and around the time it was published was when the Ukraine crisis began to escalate.

Post: #23

Enjoyed the show actually, it was really good and I liked that they didn't tiptoe around France being a hotbed of Islamic terrorism.

Post: #24

Not a fan of his literary "universe". To me, he was an outsider writing about things he knew very little about.

But I cant say I didnt liked the 3 or 4 of his novels that I read.

Expect more and more movie adaptations from his works in the next decades.

Post: #25

I can never hear Clancy's name without the 1967 Buffalo Springfield song "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" popping into my head. So, since I have nothing to contribute to the thread, here is the song.

Decades later, I loved this stuff in college (and earned the disdain of the Depeche Mode crowd because of that). Neil Young wrote this; Richie Furay and Stephen Stills sing lead because in the early days, Neil was apparently too insecure about his voice to sing lead on his own songs. That would soon change, of course.

The Carpenters actually did a credible cover version on their first album, "Offering" -- an LP that contains some a surprisingly jazzy elements and is much more adventurous than the easy listening stuff that made them famous in the '70s (check this out for proof).

Am I off-topic enough?