Tom Clancy dead: Best-selling author dies in hospital at the age of 66

Tributes have been paid to the novelist Tom Clancy who has died age 66
Novelist Tom Clancy with tripod mounted binoculars

Tributes have been pouring in from friends, fellow authors and fans of the American novelist Tom Clancy .

Dead at 66, Twitter has been flooded with mourners and well-wishers.          

Fellow writer Jackie Collins wrote: "RIP Tom Clancy. A great storyteller"

Politician Michael Fabricant said: "Sad to hear the author Tom Clancy (Hunt for Red October, etc) has died. He and I used to be in regular contact by email and meetings."

Number one New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor said: "Rest in peace, Tom Clancy. Thank you for your patriotism and the countless hours of thrilling reading."

Fellow thriller author James Scott Bell quoted the great man: ""Writing isn’t divinely inspired – it’s hard work.” Tom Clancy, RIP"

Killer Instinct author Joseph Finder said: "Just saw the news that Tom Clancy has died. In 1984, Hunt for Red October changed the thriller game for all of us. RIP."

The American writer, made famous by his spy novels including The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games, died in hospital in Baltimore last night, his publisher told The New York Times.

According to the New York Times, Clancy died near in hospital near his home in Maryland.

He wrote a series of detailed military thrillers, set around the time of the Cold War, many of which were turned into successful films.

Actors Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck have all played his most famous character Jack Ryan.

Clancy later co-founded computer games developer Red Storm Entertainment and a number of popular titles continue to bear his name including the Splinter Cell and Rainbow Six series.

Ubisoft, which later bought Red Storm, paid tribute to the author. A statement on the company's Facebook page said: "We are saddened to learn of Tom Clancy’s passing and our condolences go out to his family. Tom Clancy was an extraordinary author with a gift for creating detailed, engrossing fictional stories that captivated audiences around the world.

"The teams at Ubisoft, especially at the Red Storm studio, are incredibly grateful to have collaborated with and learned from him, and we are humbled by the opportunity to carry on part of his legacy through our properties that bear his name."