Tom Clancy Dead: Celebrated Thriller Author Dies At Age 66

[katmai]

You guys ready for the new film? Not based on a existing story.
Staring Captain Kirk as Jack Ryan, Kiera Knightly as his wife, Kevin Costner as CIA mentor and directed by Kenneth Branagah who also plays the heavy.

[Agelastus]

Personally I'd rate "The Sum of all Fears" as the best of his Ryan books, and probably the tipping point at which the decline began. "Hunt for Red October" being its possible rival.

After this point he had to start scrambling around for enemies for his "RyanSA" to fight with the end of the Cold War and his (and real-life's) Russia stabilising. Japan as an enemy ("Debt of Honor") was fairly ridiculous, but the book itself was saved a little by the ending; after that it was steadily downhill, unfortunately.

I never really liked the books that focussed on John Kelly/Clarke either; perhaps I was too used to thinking of him as a member of the supporting cast rather than as a protagonist.

[Eddie Teach]

You guys ready for the new film? Not based on a existing story.
Staring Captain Kirk as Jack Ryan, Kiera Knightly as his wife, Kevin Costner as CIA mentor and directed by Kenneth Branagah who also plays the heavy.

Worth it to see Costner in blackface.