3 Oct – Tom Clancy, the successful author of a series of books featuring fictional CIA agent Jack Ryan, has passed away on 1 October, at the age of 66. Cause of death is not yet released. "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." said Penguin Group executive David Shanks. Tom Clancy was best known for writing thrillers that focuses on political intrigue, military tactics and technology. His popularity with the armed forces helped him gain inside access which helped him write plots for his stories. 28 of his books appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list.
It was Clancy's 1984 novel "The Hunt For Red October" that brought him to fame. The novel introduced Clancy's signature hero, CIA agent Jack Ryan, who went on to appear in several other Clancy novels. The novel "The Hunt For Red October" was adapted into a live-action film featuring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin in 1990. In the sequel to "The Hunt For Red October", "Patriot Games", the role of Jack Ryan was essayed by Harrison Ford, who also went on to reprise his role in "Clear And Present Danger". The sequel to "Clear And Present Danger" titled "The Sum Of All Fears", sees Ben Affleck cast as Jack Ryan. Clancy also co-founded Red Storm Entertainment and has lent his name to hugely successful video game franchises like "Rainbow Six", "Splinter Cell" and "Ghost Recon". Clancy's upcoming and last book "Command Authority" is due to be published by G.P. Putnams' Sons in December.
The upcoming film "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" is based on the character of Jack Ryan unlike the previous films in the franchise. The film is directed by "Thor" director Kenneth Branagh, and will feature Chris Pine as Jack Ryan. Branagh also stars in the film, along with Keira Knightley and Kevin Costner.