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Jack Ryan

The Hunt for Red October (1984) Patriot Games (1987) The Cardinal of the Kremlin (1988) Clear and Present Danger (1989) The Sum of All Fears (1991) Without Remorse (1993) Debt of Honor (1994) Executive Orders (1996) Rainbow Six (1998) The Bear and the Dragon (2000) Red Rabbit (2002) The Teeth of the Tiger (2003) and 27 others
Author	Tom Clancy Mark Greaney Grant Blackwood Mike Maden Marc Cameron Don Bentley Brian Andrews Jeffrey Wilson M.P. Woodward
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Techno-thriller Political thriller Military fiction Spy fiction
Publisher	Naval Institute Press G. P. Putnam's Sons Berkley Books
Published	1984–present
Media type	Print (hardcover, paperback) E-book Audiobook
No. of books	39 (as of 2025)

The Jack Ryan series is a collection of political thriller and techno-thriller novels created by American author Tom Clancy, centered around the fictional character John Patrick "Jack" Ryan Sr. The series began in 1984 with The Hunt for Red October and has consistently topped the New York Times bestseller list over 40 years. 17 of Clancy's Jack Ryan novels have hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and more than 100 million copies of his books have been sold.

Following Clancy's death in 2013, five other authors, Mark Greaney, Grant Blackwood, Mike Maden, Marc Cameron and Don Bentley, have continued writing new novels for the franchise and its other connecting series with the approval of the Clancy family estate. Jack Ryan has been featured in 36 novels which have been written by Tom Clancy, Grant Blackwood, Mark Greaney, Mike Maden, Marc Cameron, Don Bentley, Brian Andrews, and Jeffrey Wilson.

The series is part of what fans call the "Ryanverse" or Ryanverse, a term for the political thriller media franchise created by author Tom Clancy centering on the character of Jack Ryan and the fictional universe featuring Jack and other characters, such as John Clark and Domingo Chavez.

Concept and creation

Tom Clancy began writing The Hunt for Red October while working as an insurance agent in Maryland. The publisher was impressed with the work; Deborah Grosvenor, the Naval Institute Press editor who read through the book, said later that she convinced the publisher: "I think we have a potential best seller here, and if we don't grab this thing, somebody else would." She believed Clancy had an "innate storytelling ability, and his characters had this very witty dialogue".

Clancy, who had hoped to sell 5,000 copies, ended up selling over 45,000. After publication, the book received praise from President Ronald Reagan, who called the work "my kind of yarn", subsequently boosting sales to 300,000 hardcover and two million paperback copies of the book, making it a national bestseller.

The character of Jack Ryan was modeled partly on Robert Gates, with Clancy telling Gates that "You know, for the first several novels, I pretty much modeled Ryan's career on yours".

Main character

John Patrick Ryan Sr. KCVO (Hon.), nicknamed Jack, is a fictional character created by author Tom Clancy. Ryan was born on May 17, 1950 to an Irish Catholic family in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, Emmet William Ryan, was a Baltimore Police Department homicide lieutenant and World War II veteran.

The son of a Baltimore police detective and a nurse, Ryan is a former U.S. Marine lieutenant and stockbroker who becomes a civilian history professor at the United States Naval Academy (USNA). Ryan works with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) initially as a MITRE contractor before becoming an analyst and occasional field officer, eventually leading it as Deputy Director. After retiring from the CIA, Ryan later served as National Security Advisor and Vice President before suddenly becoming President of the United States.

Books in the series

The Jack Ryan series can be read in publication order or chronological order according to the timeline of events within the fictional universe. The first book written to feature Jack Ryan was The Hunt for Red October, though chronologically, Patriot Games occurs first in the timeline.

Novels by Tom Clancy

No.	Title	Author	Publisher	Date	Genre	Notes	ISBN
1	The Hunt for Red October	Tom Clancy	Naval Institute Press	October 1984	Techno-thriller	Clancy's first published novel. CIA analyst Jack Ryan assists in the defection of a respected Soviet naval captain	0-87021-285-0
CIA analyst Jack Ryan assists in the defection of a respected Soviet naval captain, who commands Red October, the Soviet Navy's most advanced ballistic missile submarine.
2	Patriot Games	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	July 1987	Techno-thriller	Prequel to The Hunt for Red October	0-399-13241-4
Jack Ryan and his family become targets of the Ulster Liberation Army (ULA), a fictional offshoot of the Irish Republican Army, for foiling their attack on the Prince and Princess of Wales in London.
3	The Cardinal of the Kremlin	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	August 1988	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan works to extract a Soviet agent	0-399-13345-3
Jack Ryan works to extract a Soviet agent while Cold War tensions escalate around the Strategic Defense Initiative.
4	Clear and Present Danger	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	August 1989	Techno-thriller	#1 bestselling novel of the 1980s	0-399-13440-9
Ryan becomes involved in covert operations against Colombian drug cartels as the CIA conducts secret military operations in Colombia.
5	The Sum of All Fears	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	August 1991	Techno-thriller	Nuclear terrorism thriller	0-399-13615-0
Ryan confronts nuclear terrorism as tensions rise between the United States and Soviet Union when terrorists detonate a nuclear bomb at the Super Bowl.
6	Without Remorse	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	August 1993	Techno-thriller	John Clark origin story	0-399-13825-0
Primarily features John Clark's origin story during the Vietnam War, with minimal Jack Ryan involvement. Ex-SEAL John Kelly fights drug dealers in Baltimore.
7	Debt of Honor	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	August 1994	Techno-thriller	Ryan becomes Vice President	0-399-13956-7
Ryan serves as National Security Advisor during a crisis with Japan. A secret cabal of extreme nationalists gains control of Japan and starts a war with the U.S.
8	Executive Orders	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	July 1996	Techno-thriller	Ryan becomes President	0-399-14218-5
Ryan becomes President after a terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol during a joint session of Congress. He must rebuild the government while facing biological warfare.
9	Rainbow Six	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	August 1998	Techno-thriller	John Clark and Rainbow team focus	0-399-14390-4
Features John Clark and his international counter-terrorism unit Rainbow, with limited Ryan involvement. Environmental terrorists plan to release a deadly virus.
10	The Bear and the Dragon	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	August 2000	Techno-thriller	President Ryan in Sino-Russian conflict	0-399-14563-X
President Ryan deals with conflict between Russia and China over Siberian oil and gold deposits, while managing a papal assassination attempt.
11	Red Rabbit	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	August 2002	Techno-thriller	Prequel set in early 1980s	0-399-14870-1
Prequel involving CIA analyst Ryan and a plot to assassinate Pope John Paul II. Ryan aids in the defection of a Soviet officer who knows of the assassination plan.
12	The Teeth of the Tiger	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	August 2003	Techno-thriller	Introduces Jack Ryan Jr.	0-399-15079-X
Introduces Jack Ryan Jr. and transitions focus to the next generation. Jack Ryan Jr. becomes an analyst for The Campus, an off-the-books intelligence agency.

Collaborative works (2010–2013)

Clancy solely wrote most of the novels up to 2010, after which point his next novels were co-written with Blackwood and Greaney.

No.	Title	Author	Publisher	Date	Genre	Co-author	ISBN
13	Dead or Alive	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	December 2010	Techno-thriller	with Grant Blackwood	978-0-399-15681-6
Features both Jack Ryan Sr. and Jr. The Campus tries to catch an Osama bin Laden-type terrorist known as the Emir.
14	Locked On	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	December 2011	Techno-thriller	with Grant Blackwood	978-0-399-15826-1
Continues The Campus storyline as Jack Ryan Sr. runs for President while Jack Ryan Jr. and The Campus face Pakistani intelligence threats.
15	Threat Vector	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	December 2012	Techno-thriller	with Mark Greaney	978-0-399-15967-1
Focuses on cybersecurity threats as Chinese cyberwarfare capabilities threaten American interests.
16	Command Authority	Tom Clancy	G. P. Putnam's Sons	December 2013	Techno-thriller	with Mark Greaney	978-0-399-16018-9
Clancy's final completed novel before his death. President Jack Ryan deals with new Russian strongman Valeri Volodin's plans to annex Ukraine.

Continuation by other authors (2014–present)

After Clancy's death in 2013, Greaney, Blackwood, Maden, Cameron, Bentley, Andrews, and Wilson took over the character in their own respective contributions to the franchise.

No.	Title	Author	Publisher	Date	Genre	Focus	ISBN
17	Support and Defend	Mark Greaney	G. P. Putnam's Sons	July 2014	Techno-thriller	Dominic Caruso	978-0-399-16617-4
Features Dominic Caruso as The Campus is shuttered and Dom must take on a rogue National Security Council staffer.
18	Full Force and Effect	Mark Greaney	G. P. Putnam's Sons	December 2014	Techno-thriller	The Campus returns	978-0-399-17078-2
Returns focus to The Campus as they work to stop North Korean leader Choi Ji-hoon's nuclear weapons program.
19	Under Fire	Grant Blackwood	G. P. Putnam's Sons	June 2015	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan Jr.	978-0-399-17366-0
Jack Ryan Jr. adventure involving Iranian politics and terrorism.
20	Commander in Chief	Mark Greaney	G. P. Putnam's Sons	December 2015	Techno-thriller	President Ryan	978-0-399-17640-1
President Ryan faces Russian threats and must prevent a new Cold War.
21	True Faith and Allegiance	Mark Greaney	G. P. Putnam's Sons	December 2016	Techno-thriller	President Ryan	978-0-399-17688-3
President Ryan must track down hackers who have compromised U.S. intelligence operations.
22	Point of Contact	Mike Maden	G. P. Putnam's Sons	June 2017	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan Jr.	978-0-7352-1584-9
Jack Ryan Jr. must stop cybercriminals and assassins from causing a global disaster.
23	Power and Empire	Marc Cameron	G. P. Putnam's Sons	November 2017	Techno-thriller	President Ryan	978-0-7352-1585-6
President Ryan must prevent global war after tensions between America and China boil over. Cameron's first entry debuted at #6 on the New York Times bestseller list.
24	Line of Sight	Mike Maden	G. P. Putnam's Sons	June 2018	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan Jr.	978-0-7352-1586-3
Jack Ryan Jr. must navigate Balkan blood feuds to prevent World War III from breaking out.
25	Oath of Office	Marc Cameron	G. P. Putnam's Sons	November 2018	Techno-thriller	President Ryan	978-0-7352-1587-0
President Ryan faces deadly challenges from multiple fronts: Iran, a lethal flu strain, a corrupt senator, and Russian nuclear missiles.
26	Enemy Contact	Mike Maden	G. P. Putnam's Sons	June 2019	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan Jr.	9780525541691
Jack Jr. must eliminate a global intelligence conspiracy and face down the perpetrators.
27	Code of Honor	Marc Cameron	G. P. Putnam's Sons	November 2019	Techno-thriller	President Ryan	978-0-525-54176-5
Features President Jack Ryan Sr. dealing with international crises while clearing his name from false accusations.
28	Firing Point	Mike Maden	G. P. Putnam's Sons	June 2020	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan Jr.	978-0-525-54177-2
While in Barcelona, Jack Jr.'s friend dies in a terrorist attack. Hell-bent on revenge, Jack discovers that she may have kept dark secrets.
29	Shadow of the Dragon	Marc Cameron	G. P. Putnam's Sons	November 2020	Techno-thriller	President Ryan	978-0-525-54178-9
President Ryan faces serious intelligence security issues and strange noises beneath the Arctic sea as China poses new threats.
30	Target Acquired	Don Bentley	G. P. Putnam's Sons	June 2021	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan Jr.	978-0-593-18887-4
While filling in on a job for old friend Ding in Israel, Jack Jr. becomes the target of vicious killers.
31	Chain of Command	Marc Cameron	G. P. Putnam's Sons	November 2021	Techno-thriller	President Ryan	978-0-593-18888-1
An evil mastermind and billionaire has his sight set on President Ryan. His first job: kidnap the First Lady.
32	Zero Hour	Don Bentley	G. P. Putnam's Sons	June 2022	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan Jr.	978-0-593-42246-7
Only Jack Ryan Jr. can prevent another Korean war as tensions escalate on the peninsula.
33	Red Winter	Marc Cameron	G. P. Putnam's Sons	November 2022	Techno-thriller	Young Jack Ryan prequel	978-0-593-42247-4
Throwback prequel introducing a young Jack Ryan navigating the perils of the Cold War in 1985.
34	Flash Point	Don Bentley	G. P. Putnam's Sons	June 2023	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan Jr.	978-0-593-42248-1
Continues Jack Ryan Jr.'s adventures in high-stakes international espionage.
35	Weapons Grade	Don Bentley	G. P. Putnam's Sons	November 2023	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan Jr.	978-0-593-42249-8
After witnessing a staged accident turned professional hit in Texas, Jack Ryan Jr. delves into a small town's cold case, risking his life for answers.
36	Command and Control	Marc Cameron	G. P. Putnam's Sons	November 2023	Techno-thriller	President Ryan	978-0-593-71854-2
President Jack Ryan faces a dangerous coup in Panama, finding himself trapped in a deadly game of politics and assassination.
37	Act of Defiance	Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson	G. P. Putnam's Sons	June 2024	Techno-thriller	Katie Ryan	978-0-593-71855-9
Katie Ryan, President Jack Ryan's astute youngest daughter, uncovers a covert Russian plan, challenging global security dynamics.
38	Shadow State	M.P. Woodward	G. P. Putnam's Sons	November 2024	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan Jr.	978-0-593-71856-6
Features Jack Ryan Jr. in another high-stakes adventure involving international intrigue.
39	Defense Protocol	Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson	G. P. Putnam's Sons	December 2024	Techno-thriller	Military thriller	978-0-593-71857-3
Military thriller in the Ryanverse focusing on defense protocols and national security.
40	Line of Demarcation	M.P. Woodward	G. P. Putnam's Sons	2025	Techno-thriller	Jack Ryan Jr.	TBA
Upcoming release featuring Jack Ryan Jr. in another international thriller.

Related series

The Campus series

A spin-off series focusing on Jack Ryan's son Jack Ryan Jr. and his work with a covert intelligence organization called "The Campus". Many of the recent novels blend the main Jack Ryan storyline with The Campus operations.

John Clark series

Several novels in the series focus primarily on John Clark and Domingo "Ding" Chavez, including Without Remorse and Rainbow Six, though these are considered part of the broader Ryanverse.

Publication history and commercial success

Clancy was one of only three authors to sell two million copies on a first printing in the 1990s (the others were John Grisham and J. K. Rowling). Clancy's novel Clear and Present Danger (1989) sold 1,625,544 hardcover copies, making it the #1 bestselling novel of the 1980s.

The series has maintained consistent commercial success even after Clancy's death. Publishers Weekly praised Marc Cameron's work on the series: "All the writers who have contributed to this series since Clancy's death have been good, but Cameron's formidable performance puts him at the head of the pack".

Themes and style

The Jack Ryan series is characterized by:

• Technical accuracy: The book was critically praised for its technical accuracy, which led to Clancy's meeting several high-ranking officers in the U.S. military
• Political realism: The novels often incorporate real-world political events and plausible geopolitical scenarios
• Character development: The majority of Clancy's novels are written as a series and not as stand-alone books. Consequently, his novels are famous for their character and plot development that carry from one book to the next
• Military and intelligence detail: Extensive research into military technology, intelligence operations, and government procedures

Adaptations

Film

Main article: Jack Ryan (franchise)

Five films based on Clancy novels featuring Jack Ryan have been produced. Jack Ryan was portrayed by Alec Baldwin in the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October, Harrison Ford in Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994), Ben Affleck in the 2002 film The Sum of All Fears, and Chris Pine in 2014 film Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.

With a combined unadjusted worldwide gross of $788.4 million to date, the films constitute the 57th highest-grossing film series. The films have been nominated for four Academy Awards, winning one for Sound Effects (now Sound Editing) in The Hunt for Red October.

Television

Main article: Jack Ryan (TV series)

A television series adaptation inspired by the novels and Harrison Ford films, titled Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, premiered on August 31, 2018, on Amazon Prime Video. The show was created by Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland, with Michael Bay as an executive producer. John Krasinski stars in the title role. The series ended with the fourth and final season in July 2023.

In October 2024, it was announced that a feature film serving as a continuation to the Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series was in development, with John Krasinski and Wendell Pierce set to reprise their roles.

Video games

Many video games based on the Ryanverse have been made, some based on the novels, some on the films, some on the spin-offs. Notable games include adaptations of The Hunt for Red October and the Rainbow Six tactical shooter series.

Awards and recognition

Clancy received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1988. Clancy was the Host of the 1995 Achievement Summit in Colonial Williamsburg and the 1997 Achievement Summit in Baltimore. Clancy received an honorary doctorate in humane letters and delivered the commencement address at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1992.

The continued success of the series has been recognized by both critics and readers, with multiple novels reaching the top of bestseller lists even after Clancy's death.

Legacy and influence

The Jack Ryan series has had a significant impact on the techno-thriller genre, establishing many conventions that continue to influence military and political fiction. Clancy's novels focus on the hero, most notably Jack Ryan and John Clark, and have spawned numerous imitators in the genre.

Regarding the continuation of the series after Clancy's death, Marc Cameron notes: "Some people are, like, ruined-their-life angry. I'm a lighten-up kind of guy. If you don't want to read them, don't. But there are so many stories in these characters, and we have an obligation to keep them going, authentically, like the original author wanted them to be".

See also

• Ryanverse
• Tom Clancy
• Jack Ryan (character)
• Techno-thriller
• Political thriller

External links

• Official Tom Clancy website
• Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan at IMDb (TV series)

This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.

Categories:

• Book series introduced in 1984
• American novels adapted into films
• Techno-thriller novels
• Political thriller novels
• Military fiction
• Spy novels
• Tom Clancy
• Jack Ryan (character)
• Novel series