orig. Thomas Clancy
born March 12, 1947, Baltimore, Md., U.S.
U.S. novelist.
Clancy worked as an insurance agent before beginning his writing career. His first novel was the surprise best-seller The Hunt for Red October (1984; film, 1990), which virtually created the "technothriller" genre, suspenseful novels that rely on extensive knowledge of military technology and espionage. Later successes include Red Storm Rising (1986), Patriot Games (1987; film, 1992), Clear and Present Danger (1989; film, 1994), Sum of All Fears (1991; film, 2000), and The Bear and the Dragon (2000).