In Memoriam: Tom Clancy

We were sad to hear of the passing of bestselling author Tom Clancy earlier this month at the age of 66.  Clancy was a prolific author of international thrillers – offering up fascinating details of military science amidst complex tales of Cold War and post-Cold War espionage.  With over 100 million of his books in print, Clancy was a regular on bestseller lists – with 17 of his books achieving #1 New York Times bestseller status.    

The author remained busy until the end – with a new novel in his successful Jack Ryan series scheduled for release this December and a new Jack Ryan film currently in post-production.

 

You can find a large selection of Clancy’s titles and related works in our collection – including the items highlighted below.
 

Jack Ryan Series:  Clancy’s most popular series revolves around the character of Jack Ryan, who made his first appearance as a CIA Analyst in The Hunt for Red October, a military thriller involving the chase for a top-secret Russian missile submarine.  Over the arc of the series, Ryan serves as an NSA adviser, Deputy Director of the CIA, Vice President of the United States -- and ultimately, as President.  Ryan is joined in several of the novels by former Navy SEAL and covert CIA Agent John Clark.

The most recent books in the series feature Jack Ryan’s son and two nephews:  The Teeth of the Tiger, Dead or Alive, Locked On and Threat Vector.  Ryan, Sr. is expected to make a return in the newest installment due in December: Command Authority.

The relentless pace and intricate plots of Clancy's novels caught the attention of Hollywood.  Film adaptations of several of the author’s novels were transformed into winners at the box office as well -- including The Hunt for Red October, The Sum of All Fears, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.  Actors Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck have all taken turns portraying hero Jack Ryan.  Look for a new Jack Ryan movie out next year: Shadow Recruit starring Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, and Kenneth Brannah.

Characters from several of Clancy's thrillers have been licensed for use in video games -- including Splinter Cell, Endwar and Ghost Recon -- which can be found at the library in the PS3 and/or Xbox360 game formats.

So much to enjoy!  Thanks for entertaining us for so many years, Mr. Clancy!