Bestselling author Tom Clancy, who also left his creative touch on the video game industry and in the sports realm, passed away Tuesday night at age 66 in a Baltimore hospital, according to tweets sent on Wednesday by Publishers Weekly and New York Times reporter Julie Bosman.
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Bestselling author Tom Clancy has died.
— Publishers Weekly (@PublishersWkly) October 2, 2013
Tom Clancy's publisher confirms to the NYT that he died last night in a hospital in Baltimore.
— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman) October 2, 2013
"He was a thrill to work with," said Ivan Held, the president of Putnam.
— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman) October 2, 2013
Clancy co-founded video game company Red Storm Entertainment, which later became Ubisoft Red Storm after it was bought. The company has released such titles as The Hunt for Red October, Rainbow Six, Eagle Watch and Ghost Recon. Clancy also had partial ownership of the Baltimore Orioles, a team he referenced in his 2002 thriller Red Rabbit.
Clancy wrote such popular novels as The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Without Remorse, Rainbow Six, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, Debt of Honor and Runaways.
No details have been released on whether any novels will be published posthumously. Mashable is also awaiting a statement from Clancy's publisher, Berkley Books, about the prolific author's impact on pop culture and literature.
As news of Clancy's death spread online, people paid their respects on Twitter:
Tom Clancy's writing was so influential on gaming and film. His stories were awesome. RIP.
— Colin Moriarty (@notaxation) October 2, 2013
Author Tom Clancy has passed away. Only 66 yrs. of age. Way too young. Go out and have a great adventure today. #tomclancy #books
— Slim Paley (@SlimPaley) October 2, 2013
RIP Tom Clancy. Red October was the first non-Stephen King book I loved. Cardinal of the Kremlin was a great spy novel.
— Andrew Wright (@batterista) October 2, 2013
RIP Tom Clancy. Thank you for Hunt for the Red October. Helped get me hooked on the military at a young age.
— Michael Hoffman (@_MichaelHoffman) October 2, 2013
RIP Tom Clancy - Gave me a youth full of intrigue, action and a love of reading. http://t.co/w9ABCHalSA
— Ben Fielden (@Rentiak) October 2, 2013
I'll listen to the Russian national anthem for Tom Clancy. Hunt For Red October an all-time great. RIP
— Joe Yerdon (@JoeYerdonPHT) October 2, 2013
RIP Tom Clancy, on of my favorite authors, even as a kid. You will be missed!
— Michael Sheehan (@HighTechDad) October 2, 2013
RIP Tom Clancy, somewhere over the Rainbow 6.
— nekoto (@nekkoto) October 2, 2013
So sad to hear of the death of Tom Clancy. A brilliant author. I was a big fan.
— Lester Holt (@LesterHoltNBC) October 2, 2013
R.I.P. Tom Clancy, one of my all time favorite authors. Your legacy will live on. Thank you for your contribution to literature.
— Drack0ni5 (@Shad0wdrag0n) October 2, 2013
Sad, sad day. #RIP thriller legend, Tom Clancy RT @juliebosman "He was a thrill to work with," said Ivan Held, the president of Putnam.
— Tarcher/Penguin (@TarcherBooks) October 2, 2013
"I've made up stuff that's turned out to be real, that's the spooky part." -RIP Tom Clancy http://t.co/I0M6ny9PA2
— Books Inc. (@BooksIncEvents) October 2, 2013
Mashable's Colin Daileda contributed to this story.
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