Threat Vector

 

Threat Vector – Tom Clancy

These days I tend to read Tom Clancy books more out of an obligation than a desire.  I’ve stated several times in several reviews that these Jack Ryan novels tend to blend and all seem about the same. This was the second to last Jack Ryan novel before Clancy passed away (I think) and I’m determined to read them all at some point.  Like James Bond, the character of Jack Ryan has now outlived its creator, and other authors have taken up the task of continuing to entertain the masses with Jack Ryan and the tales of American espionage.  Will I ever read those?  Possibly.  Let’s get finished with the Clancy ones first, and then I’ll tackle that question for another day.

The good news is that this one did seem a bit of a fresh idea.  It seemed liked the last several novels dealt with all of the regulars keeping America safe from the Mideastern fanatical terrorists.  Jack Ryan is now president, his protégé John Clark is even getting old, and the reins seem to have now passed on to Jack Jr.  The Mideastern angle is mostly absent this time, and China gets to play the role of chief  adversary.  Not the first time, mind you.  China was the bad guy in The Bear and the Dragon, which came out about 15 years prior I believe. There are only so many countries that make a legitimate antagonist when realism is a major focus.

The book is still fairly predictable and is quite thick. The chapters read quickly, though, and once one rads  a certain number of Clancy novels, they learn that there’s a lot of chapters that they can quickly scan instead of intensely digest. You read about one dogfight over the China seas, you’ve read them all.  There’s enough in the book, though, to keep the story mostly fresh.

It seems that Clancy has toned down the politics significantly for this novel. A good thing. Such sentiments wear thin after awhile.  I think the LAST Jack Ryan novel had him in a presidential race with one of those clueless opponents who stood for everything that Ryan and co. are against.  I can’t remember if that story byline ever came to a conclusion, but there’s no mention of it here.  In fact, Jack Ryan Sr. (along with John Clark) really don’t get a ton of page space here.  The baton is definitely being passed to the younger characters.

This novel was one of the better latter-day Clancy efforts.  I really don’t think Clancy’s later works come close to his prime in the 1980s and the 1990s, but these books are kind of a fun diversion. They’re always a tad scary since the fiction in these pages always seems to be considered closer to “fact” by some insiders, and it reminds us that the world is still a dangerous place.

Fortunately the good guys mostly win in these books.  Hopefully life will copy art.