Bestselling author Tom Clancy died Tuesday in a Baltimore hospital at the age of 66. Clancy's fast-paced, action-packed military thrillers, starring Jack Ryan, a CIA operative who goes on to become the President of the United States, were perfectly suited for Hollywood and spawned four blockbuster movies. Clancy didn't stop there; he also co-founded the video game developer Red Storm Entertainment, lending his name to Red Storm’s most successful games. See his crossover success in pop culture over the years.
Clancy earned $1.3 million for his first book, 1984's The Hunt for Red October, which was turned into a film in 1990, starring Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin (playing Jack Ryan), and Scott Glenn. It made $200 million at the box office.
Clancy's third book, Patriot Games, came out in 1987 and was turned into a 1992 blockbuster starring Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan. It earned $178 million at the box office.
Clear and Present Danger reprises Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, and earned $215.8 million in 1994.
The Sum of All Fears earned $193.9 million at the box office and starred Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan.
Clancy's film legacy is far from over. On Christmas Day, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is scheduled to be released, with Chris Pine playing a young Ryan. The movie will also star Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, and Kevin Costner.
Clancy's 1998 novel Rainbow Six was released to coincide with this hit video game, which was Red Storm Entertainment's third game.
Clancy's Ghost Recon series began in 2001. The games are not based on Clancy books, but instead have been novelized by Grant Blackwood under the pseudonym David Michaels.
Another series that became a hit was Splinter Cell, which began in 2002.
The latest Red Storm game to bear Clancy's name is The Division, which will be released in 2014.
