Farewell to the Masters

[Geee]

American Thinker:

Political thriller fans have been dealt another devastating blow with the untimely death of the creator of the modern-day thriller. The recent passing of Tom Clancy brings back the sorrowful memory of Vince Flynn's death last June. Sadly, the soon-to-be-released Command Authority will be the last for thriller readers who have come to expect a yearly Clancy book since 1985 when the famous The Hunt for Red October was first published. For Vince Flynn fans, as October rolls around there is the familiar backdrop of fall, the World Series, and a new Vince Flynn novel being published. Unfortunately there might never be another new novel so this year many of his fans are going through withdrawal.

Flynn gave Clancy a shout-out in 2005 when he noted, "If (Tom) Clancy could do it, why can't I?" They had an aptitude for using fiction to forecast real threats to national security. Both authors have fans that include former presidents, and whose administrations questioned the realism of their content. Clancy told of how a Navy Secretary under President Reagan asked, "Who the hell cleared it?" including details about Soviet submarines, weaponry, satellites, and fighter planes. Vince Flynn commented that President George W. Bush felt his material about the CIA was "a little too accurate," and grilled him on where he received the information.