Mark your calenders! October 26-27, the e-book edition of my
debut novel, THE EIGHTH DAY, will be available 100% FREE on Amazon.com.
No catch, just go to Amazon and download it for Kindle or the free Kindle app
available for your PC, tablet, or smartphone.
Well, this has not been a banner year for people who
inspired me to read and write. On Tuesday, one of the great writers of our
generation passed away.
Whatever you think of his books, his politics, or anything,
there’s no denying Tom Clancy’s success or impact on the entire entertainment
spectrum. His books spawned four blockbuster movies with a new set now in
production, the first of which is due out Christmas this year. Also due this
Christmas is his final novel, Command Authority, and it will likely be
his 18th consecutive bestseller. Nevermind all the blockbuster video games, non-fiction
books, etc. It is a very rare author indeed who singlehandedly invents an
entire genre of books, but that is precisely what Clancy did with The Hunt
For Red October, the first true “techno-thriller”.
Much has been said in the press about his legacy in the last
few days, and there’s little I could say to add to it. All I know is that my
favorite storyteller has spun his last yarn, and the world is a poorer place
for it. True, his politics had gone off the rails in the last few novels,
(politics in books is a topic I will save for another post), but if anything
the storytelling had only gotten better. Clancy had an eye for detail that was
so perfect for creating an immersive story. I think the only writer who ever
equaled him in terms of making the reader feel like they were in the world of
the book is JK Rowling.
It was that attention to detail and meticulous research that
brought Clancy his fame and success. When Red
October was published in 1984 everyone assumed he was a naval officer or
intelligence insider. No one could believe the book had been written by an
insurance salesman drawing from open sources (in the days before Internet
searches, no less!).
So rest in peace, Mr. Clancy. I suspect that, much like a
certain other intelligence operative, Jack Ryan will return. But nobody did it
better.
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