He used to write a new novel every couple of years. But he hasn’t released anything since The Teeth of the Tiger in 2003. Did he decide to switch over to projects like his non-fiction and “apostrophe” series? Did he get upset over the complaints that his writing has declined? Did he just decide to cash out and retire?
Yeah, I’ve been wondering about him too.
So I’m subscribing to this thread.
Was Jack Ryan assumed bodily into heaven in his last novel (about the only thing Ryan didn’t accomplish in his career)? Clancy may have written himself into a corner there. 
-shooting guns
-driving his Sherman tank
-rolling in piles of cash
But seriously: I didn’t really like Teeth of the Tiger, but the ending pretty much implied a sequel was coming, so I’ve wondered the same thing.
One of the board members here was a writer for the Tom Clancy videogames, so maybe he knows something.
Wikipedia lists is “Writing period” as 1984-2003, but doesn’t explain why it’s over.
Apparently, he’s part owner of the Orioles, though.
He’s #4 on Forbes’ top 10 biggest earning authors with $33 million last year. A portion of his income comes from all the Tom Clancy-branded games that come out every year.
I’m assuming “standing in line at soup kitchens” isn’t taking up much of his time.
I left Red Storm back in 2002, so I have no idea what he’s up to these days.
In my opinion he really went down hill, I did not like anything after Without Remorse.
IIRC, in a divorce settlement, his ex- got (half?) of all Jack Ryan novels. As a result TC will almost certainly not write another such novel.
** The bear and the Dragon ** is when I decided to leave Tom Clancey. Wow that was a steaming pile. I just think that he knew that he hit his peak long ago and it is time to move on.
Checking into this, you may have it. Apparently it’s not just the Jack Ryan novels; his ex-wife gets half of all the work he does. And while they seperated in 1996 and divorced in 1998, the settlement was not made until 2005, which is right around the time Clancy stopped writing.
He’s cruising the ocean on his custom-built, harpoon missile equipped, catamaran cruiser, stopping only to rescue oil tankers from foreign pirates and to provide hand to hand combat training to impoverished local villages threatened by corrupt millitary dictatorships.
What? This idea comforts me.
Actually, Ubisoft paid him some ungodly sum for the rights to his name, so it’s not a steady paycheck anymore.
Still, in the Great Scheme of Things, writers, even popular ones, don’t get paid jack.
I’ve read the real money is when Film Rights and Video Game Licences kick in, FWIW. That might explain why many novels now almost read like they’re being pitched to a producer or at least someone who can say “Hey, wouldn’t this make an awesome movie/game?”…
Tom Clancy made $30 million off the video game rights to his name alone.
Jack left town a long time ago.