This is a single archived entry from Stefan Tilkov’s blog. For more up-to-date content, check out my author page at INNOQ, which has more information about me and also contains a list of published talks, podcasts, and articles. Or you can check out the full archive.

Clancy Reread

Stefan Tilkov, Apr 18, 2003

I am currently in the process of re-reading all of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels. As patriotic and occasionally too hero-worshipping as they might be, they still are some of the best stuff I have ever read. After the first 5 novels (and about 5000 pages) and 2 more books to go, I'm wondering why the same story fascinates me again and again.

Probably a lot of Clancy's power comes from the scenarios that he creates and that tend to become reality, e.g. a terrorist flying an airplane into the Capitol building (in Debt of Honor) or the question of whether terror can be fought with war.