Spy thriller novelist Tom Clancy, who brought audience classics like Teeth of the Tiger, Dead or Alive, and Clear and Present Danger, died on the evening of Tuesday, October 1, 2013.

Clancy, 66, died after a brief illness, at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Thomas Webb, Clancy's lawyer, confirmed this; though Clancy's cause of death has yet to be disclosed.

The No.1 New York Times bestselling author made it his life's work to draft compelling fiction about military science and espionage that employed elements of intrigue, danger and obscurity. His masterful ability to exercise technical details, to address tactical warfare, covert plots and weaponry with familiarity, earned him a devout following. Well-knows like President Ronald Regan truly enjoyed his fiction, as well as a great deal of military officers and engineering experts.

Of his 28 books, 17 appeared on the New York Times best-sellers list, a number of the reaching the No. 1 spot.

Clancy's book sales, alone, made him a millionaire, not to mention film adaptions that turned into valuable blockbusters. The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and The Sum of All Fears were performed on the big screen by, Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, William Dafoe and Live Schreiber. The actors portrayed one of two well-known fictional characters, Jack Ryan or John Clark.

Clancy also co-founded the video game developer, Red Storm Entertainment, and many of his books inspired successful video games for the company. The Hunt Red October, Red Storm Rising, SSN, ruthless.com, Shadow Watch and The Sum of All Fears are just examples of books that were made into videogames for the PC and/or other platforms. "Rainbow Six," "Ghost Recon," and "Splinter Cell" were also inspired by his writing.

Clancy is survived by his wife, Alexandra, and his five children. Clancy's final book, Command Authority, is planned to be released on December 3rd of this year. And, Jack Ryan: Shadow One, inspired by his work will be in theaters soon. Jack Ryan will be portrayed by Chris Pine.