Tom Clancy dead at 66

Credit: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

The New York Times is reporting the death of Tom Clancy, the author known for volumes upon volumes of spy thrillers focusing on the world of espionage.

The news was initially broken by reporter Julie Bosman via Twitter:

Tom Clancy's publisher confirms to the NYT that he died last night in a hospital in Baltimore.

— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman) October 2, 2013

Clancy is perhaps best known for his Jack Ryan/John Clark novels, which include such bestsellers as Patriot Games, The Hunt For Red October, and The Sum of All Fears, each of which were made into major motion pictures. In addition, Clancy's name remained in the cultural lexicon in recent years thanks to the litany of videogames based on his work, such as the lucrative Splinter Cell franchise.

The cause of death has not yet been released. Clancy was 66.