Emulation of Tom Clancy

Ramius sits taking a long tug from an American cigarette. Cooler and less potent than their Russian counterparts, Ramius has managed to get accustomed to them well during his year in America, as a political refugee. He is being shuttled to his new command, the USS Dallas. Mancuso, the previous captain of the Dallas, has appointed Ramius as his successor. A fitting role for the old soviet captain who was once hunted by the very United States vessel. Ramius looks to his side. There sits a friend and ally created through one of the strongest bonds a Navy officer could experience, being shot side by side. 

“It’s been a long time, my friend!” Ramius exclaims to Jack Ryan, the CIA agent who discovered Ramius’s plan to defect to the United States. 

“Indeed it has Marko,” Ryan says back, “Exactly a year since I pulled you off that sub with a bullet through your leg.”

“Oh, do not even remind me of that,” Ramius calls back sarcastically, hard to distinguish through his thick Russian accent.

“Trust me I don’t want to think of it either,” claims Ryan, “But I’m the one who decided to sign up for another mission on a submarine.” 

Ramius laughs at his reply knowing deep down that Ryan never would have accepted this mission if it were headed by a different commander. Ramius knew that Ryan hated submarines. This fact was evident from their various phone calls back and forth from America to the United Kingdom. Ryan had lost a good friend and ally on the Red October before it was fully annexed to the United State. Being the first time that he had set foot on a submarine, it really was not a great start. However, an opportunity to see his old friend again was not an opportunity he would pass up, especially if it meant going back to the states for even a short amount of time. 

“Are you ready to get back into the reins Captain?” 

“Of course. I have not sailed a sub in a year and I am ready to get aboard!” Ramius exclaims followed by his genuine Russian chuckle. “We sail to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge today to keep an eye on the Sossus lines. Are you ready?”

“I think you know exactly how I feel about this mission, Marko,” Ryan jabs back. 

“It is important that we catch the submarine sinking American trade vessels, Jack,” Ramius recites the orders given to him and his men. “As you know I am a renowned submarine captain, but I have not had the luxury of sailing aboard an American vessel or even a Russian vessel as advanced as the Dallas.” 

“Don’t worry Marko. You were picked for this mission for a reason. Your reputation precedes you by yards. I think you will be the perfect stealth captain for this mission.” 

“Of course. Are you ready to face several alfas? There will be several attack class submarines guarding the boomer taking out the cargo ships. We will be in for a fight especially if my students are commanding any of those vessels.”

Identification of Author’s style

Clancy is well known for his hyper realistic writing that incorporates many details about the settings he includes in his novels. This can be seen through his descriptions of his Submarines in “The Hunt for Red October.” This can also be in his depiction of the Annapolis Naval Academy and the Pentagon in “Without Remorse” and “The Hunt for Red October.”

Clancy also uses a lot of dialogue to move the plot forward in his novels. He sprinkles important character development details and plot details. This idea is very important to understand in “The Hunt for Red October” when Ramius talks to his men. 

Clancy also always revolves his plot and topics around terrorist or highly polarized groups. Often times Clancy will utilize the Eastern “Red Menace” as the main topic of plot throughout his novels: “The Hunt for Red October,” “Red Storm Rising,” and “The Cardinal of the Kremlin.” He will often have the Soviets or a terrorist group perform an operation against the people of the United States.

Explanation of Emulation

Plot: The plot of my emulation revolves around the setup of a mission using the USS Dallas, the main submarine in “The Hunt for Red October.” I am setting up a mission to the Sosus Lines that are the border between Soviet controlled waters and American controlled waters. This idea sets up the idea that there will be conflict between the soviets and Americans. 

Character: I am utilizing Jack Ryan and Marko Ramius as two characters in my emulation. This is important because Ryan makes many appearances through all of Clancy’s novels. Ryan is a main character of the whole Clancy Universe. Ryan and Marko also make references to previous events that have happened to them. 

Dialogue: I use mostly dialogue in my emulation because Clancy often times builds his dialogue through the use of dialogue. I drop subtle but useful information throughout the dialogue. This can be seen in the fact that I mention Ryan hates submarines. This could be used as a major plot point later in the work when he could potentially be in battle on a submarine and have catastrophic emotions because of it. Clancy uses these subtle hints to move the plot forward in a fast way to get the story going faster.