RIP Tom Clancy

[Gman]

I've heard this before, who do you think was writing them?

Not sure, but his writing style made a dramatic shift once he had hit the big time.

I still have the Red Storm Rising computer game with the box. I think it's on floppies. I burned many an hour on that game.

I thought Patriot Games was an awesome book with the battle of wills and emotion. The movie and the way the antagonist met his end was such a disappointment.

[Mazin]

Rip to a talented Author.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Clancy's style really didn't change, just the volume of what was written.

There's a big difference between the spin-off books where he probably discussed the creation and backstory but otherwise just lent his name (e.g., Tom Clancy's XXXXXXXX) and the books he published under his own (and ONLY his own) name. I think the difference you saw in his later writing was that he was adding more and more detail and the editor was probably more reluctant to trim one of the best-selling authors in the business. Frankly, I thought "The Sum of All Fears" was too damned long by about 300-400 pages although I'm not sure what I would have cut -- probably a lot of the backstory behind the jihadists.

I would bet anything there was a ton of backstory material trimmed from "The Hunt for Red October" and "Red Storm Rising" -- Niven and Pournelle once estimated that only about 10% of what they wrote really made it to print -- whereas Clancy likely insisted on keeping a large portion of what he wrote for "The Sum of All Fears", "Without Remorse", "Debt of Honor", etc. because by that point he was in love with his characters and he knew his fans were too.

[electronman1729]

Hunt for Red October was the best.

Movie was great too.

[Rucker61]

Clancy's style really didn't change, just the volume of what was written.

There's a big difference between the spin-off books where he probably discussed the creation and backstory but otherwise just lent his name (e.g., Tom Clancy's XXXXXXXX) and the books he published under his own (and ONLY his own) name. I think the difference you saw in his later writing was that he was adding more and more detail and the editor was probably more reluctant to trim one of the best-selling authors in the business. Frankly, I thought "The Sum of All Fears" was too damned long by about 300-400 pages although I'm not sure what I would have cut -- probably a lot of the backstory behind the jihadists.

I would bet anything there was a ton of backstory material trimmed from "The Hunt for Red October" and "Red Storm Rising" -- Niven and Pournelle once estimated that only about 10% of what they wrote really made it to print -- whereas Clancy likely insisted on keeping a large portion of what he wrote for "The Sum of All Fears", "Without Remorse", "Debt of Honor", etc. because by that point he was in love with his characters and he knew his fans were too.

Also known as "too big to edit". "Against All Enemies" was utter crap. I left it on the airplane after about 50 pages.

[Musashi]

RIP Tom Clancy
Now it may be time to go back and re-read The Hunt for Red October and Rainbow Six
Of course Without Remorse is his best book I think

[Monky]

RIP Tom Clancy
Now it may be time to go back and re-read The Hunt for Red October and Rainbow Six
Of course Without Remorse is his best book I think

Loved 'Without Remorse'.. I had always wondered how Jack and John came to have the relationship that they have.. the story was great of his dad and John Kelly.

[clublights]

I got delivered on release day the last book....

Ive be still got to read the one before it. I don't wanna knowing they will be the last I ever get to read for the first time....


And I still have those books for you ZT... Been busy and out of town lately

[sniper7]

Rip. Some great stories