Tom Clancy is one of the most known names in the media for several good reasons. The insurance agent turned novelist found success from his military espionage storylines that are still adapted to multiple media forms today. Continue reading to know some facts about the renowned author.
“The Hunt for Red October” was sold for $5,000 in 1984.
The first novel written by Tom Clancy is The Hunt For Red October. It sold to the Naval Institute Press for around $5,000, which was a lot of money back in 1984. Ms. Deborah Grosvenor, the press’s editor, expressed that the book was a potential best-seller. She stated that if they don’t acquire the book quickly, another company would. The book was also a favorite of former US President Ronald Reagan. He claims that it was “the best yarn.”
Since the novel involved a highly complex storyline, it was challenging for Hollywood to adapt the story to the big screen. It wasn’t until Mace Neufield got executives from paramount to lay eyes on the novel until there was a clear signal to create the movie. And in 1990, The Hunt For Red October, the movie, was put out in theaters. The film garnered many awards and nominations in 1991, including The Academy Awards.
Several of Tom Clancy’s novels became video games!
Most of the Tom Clancy novels also have been adapted to video games. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege is an esports game hit, both for players and esports betting aficionados alike. Since the 90s, Tom Clancy games have been a hit with different gaming consoles, with each new game getting better every time. One of the most popular games that transcend generations in gaming would probably be Splinter Cell. The game is a mixture of a great narrative, tactical strategies, and stealth, which are all traits of a great Tom Clancy novel.
Since then, the continued stream of games that release under Tom Clancy has found great success. These games, better known as the Clancyverse, continue to develop better storylines and continue to co-create multiple games under the military story genre.
Seventeen of his novels reached the New York Times bestseller list’s top spot.
Tom Clancy’s career in writing novel’s peaked in the 80s and 90s, although his works still make their way in mainstream media. Out of the many books he has written, seventeen of those made their way to the New York Times bestseller list. Tom Clancy even co-authored several memoirs of top generals. Tom Clancy has elevated the genre of military pop-lit in novels. He created a new stream of revenue in a genre that otherwise did not interest people.
It made a platform for other books by other authors to be published. Tom Clancy’s novels sold for incredible prices to several publishing companies. The Hunt For Red October earned him $1.3 million by 1988. Without Remorse’s rights were sold for over $14 million. In 1997, Penguin Putnam Inc. paid a hefty $50 million for rights to two books. The prices show how much of a market there is for Tom Clancy’s novels.
Multiple Tom Clancy’s novels became movies.
Tom Clancy’s books have garnered so much success that many of those storylines were adapted into movies. Movies that do very well in the box office and some successful ones are remade every few years. It all started with his first novel, The Hunt For Red October, made into a movie in 1990. Perhaps one of the biggest franchises would probably be Jack Ryan.
Jack Ryan is Tom Clancy’s most famous fictional character and is the star in multiple novels created around the same universe. The “Ryanverse” novels have been a familiar sight in the New York Times bestseller list. Since Clancy’s passing, four other authors continue to explore the Jack Ryan franchise’s potential given the Clancy estate’s approval.
Since its inception, Jack Ryan was played by five different actors on-screen. Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Ben Affleck, Chris Pine, and John Krasinski. The franchise has since then earned well over $750 million.
Mr. Clancy was part owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.
Tom Clancy is a Baltimore native. He was born on April 12, 1947. It only fitted that with his success that he became a part-owner of his hometown’s MLB team, the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles are a familiar face when it comes to those who compete in the MLB. It is a member of the American League, East Division.
The team didn’t always start in Baltimore. It was then the Milwaukee Brewers, then the St. Louis Browns before becoming the Orioles. Since becoming the Baltimore Orioles in 1954, the team has a winning record of .506 (5331-5209) through 2020.
Clancy has been the catalyst of multiple franchises that transcend print and mass media. His vision continues to hold up well in today’s standards and will continue to do so long after his death.
