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I've been reflecting on this for the last few hours and it's just starting to sink in finally. I really, REALLY am going to miss his writing. He truly defined the techno thriller style of military writing that I truly love.
And as many have said, he did lose a lot of readers after Rainbow Six. I for one truly wish a movie of Red Storm Rising was made; that is THE WWIII novel I have read at least a dozen times. A former OWC employee and I would inevitably once a month start our day off with an attitude check (if you've read the book, you'll laugh)
Every day is a good day as long as you're not being shot at.
RIP Mr. Clancy, you will be missed.
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OWC Jamie wrote:
A former OWC employee and I would inevitably once a month start our day off with an attitude check (if you've read the book, you'll laugh)
I surely do... and I surely did.
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OWC Jamie wrote:
I've been reflecting on this for the last few hours and it's just starting to sink in finally. I really, REALLY am going to miss his writing. He truly defined the techno thriller style of military writing that I truly love.
Not to be a dick, but... have you read any of the more recent stuff published under his name? Some of it is OK and some of it is downright bad (I'm looking at you,
Against All Enemies)... but NONE of it is what I consider to be up to Clancy's old standards.
The Tom Clancy we all know and love died years ago. I've missed
that guy for years now.
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That's why I quit reading after The Teeth of the Tiger.
Rainbow Six had some of the old character, but was definitely under-par... The Bear and the Dragon worse yet.
One day soon, I'll re-read Without Remorse, Hunt for Red October, and probably Red Storm Rising.
And I'll enjoy them all the 5-6-7th time I read them as I did the first time.
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RIP. Mr. Clancy.
It's a true story that I have a brother who was a nuclear submarine officer (and couldn't tell me ANYTHING about his job) when the Clancy Classics were published. When I asked him what he was doing for his job in the Navy, all he could do is tell me about some of his favorite 'fiction' writers...
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Lux Interior wrote:
[quote=Paul F.]
That's why I quit reading after The Teeth of the Tiger.
That book was unadulterated shit. I don't think he even wrote it.
"The sun rose promptly at dawn."
WTF?
I don't think I actually finished
The Teeth of the Tiger... it was just too painful to read.
Compare that to reading his earlier books, like The Sum of All Fears (and hitting the chapter "Three Shakes"... where you better not have any plans for the next 5 hours while you finish the book..) - and I think you may be right, someone else was involved in the writing.. and they should be shot with a super-soaker at least.
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Like others I lost interest after Rainbow Six but even that was a good read
Same for me.
I still enjoy the Jack Ryan/John Clark stuff reread them regularly. The Cardinal and the Kremlin was my introduction followed by Red Storm Rising then the Hunt for Red October.
I too, never got in to the other series, like Op Center.
He was king of the techno-thriller, but there was one other author who did a great job, though not as prolific-- Stephen Coonts. In some ways, he was much better than Clancy. He was an A-6 driver and it showed in his writing.
My biggest disappointment (besides is passing) is that audio versions of his books are always abridged. I know the books well enough to realized that parts have been skipped over. The break in continuity is disconcerting, but I get over it.
Fair winds and following seas, Mr. Clancy.
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I skimmed through a "Readers Digest Condensed" version of Without Remorse once... it was ridiculous. Whole plot lines disappeared, whole chapters. I'm not a fan of abridged audio books either, they're just as ridiculous.
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Paul F. wrote:
[quote=Lux Interior]
[quote=Paul F.]
That's why I quit reading after The Teeth of the Tiger.
That book was unadulterated shit. I don't think he even wrote it.
"The sun rose promptly at dawn."
WTF?
I don't think I actually finished
The Teeth of the Tiger... it was just too painful to read.
Compare that to reading his earlier books, like The Sum of All Fears (and hitting the chapter "Three Shakes"... where you better not have any plans for the next 5 hours while you finish the book..) - and I think you may be right, someone else was involved in the writing.. and they should be shot with a super-soaker at least.
I don't know about
The Teeth of the Tiger, but I do know that
Against All Enemies and some of his other recent books "feature" co-writers.
