Goodbye, Mr. Clancy

If you haven't heard, Mr. Tom Clancy, the best-selling author of classic thrillers like Rainbow Six, Patriot Games, Red Storm Rising and countless other fantastic books as well as the name behind a smorgasbord of successful video game series published by Ubisoft, has passed away. This is not an obituary, for I do not have the words nor the right to speak of the man. Rather, this is an expression of gratitude, one that celebrates his legacy and the effect that this great writer has had on me personally.

In short, I would like to thank Tom Clancy for moulding a large part of my childhood through his seminal works featuring his classic hero, Jack Ryan, as well as numerous other books including but not limited to Red Storm Rising and Rainbow Six. He inspired me to do my own writing, which will never be as good as his and probably never make the light of day (trust me, it's better that way) but nonetheless, his words were an inspiration and his stories a well for a young boy's imagination. Furthermore, his detailed examination into the worlds of espionage and military activity helped to develop my passion for both military history and the colourful world of spies and lies.

No discussion of Tom Clancy would be complete, of course, without mentioning his work in the gaming industry. While the Tom Clancy brand might have little to do with the man in recent years, we can thank Tom Clancy for bringing us the characters and series we've grown to love. His initial contribution was of course through the founding of Red Storm Entertainment, the original creators of Rainbow Six and currently still active as a subsidiary of Ubisoft. Through Red Storm, the Tom Clancy universe in video games was born. Although his contribution to Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, H.A.W.X, EndWar and now The Division is unclear, the fact remains that none of these games would've happened without the man himself and his initial jump through his ownership of Red Storm.

Ultimately, all I have to say to Mr. Clancy is thank you for everything and may you rest in peace.