Mark Greaney (novelist)

Last updated

Mark Greaney
Mark Greaney 2020.jpg
Greaney in 2020
BornMark Strode Greaney
1967 (age 56–57)
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
OccupationWriter
Genre Thriller, war fiction
Notable works
Tom Clancy True Faith and Allegiance
The Gray Man
Website
markgreaneybooks.com

Mark Greaney (born 1967) is an American novelist focusing on thriller. He is best known as Tom Clancy's collaborator on his final books during his lifetime, and for continuing the Jack Ryan character and the Tom Clancy universe following Clancy's death in 2013. He is also known for the Gray Man series of novels, which was produced by Netflix into a feature film. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he is the son of Ed Greaney, a presence at WMC-TV Memphis for over 50 years [2] and the namesake for the station's current newsroom. Greaney has degrees in political science and international relations, which would later play a major part in his writing career. [3]

Career

The Gray Man

Greaney previously worked as a waiter and bartender for ten years, [3] then later in a surgical technology company, while working on two novels in his spare time. After finishing one of them, titled Goon Squad [4] and was primarily about the aftermath of the Bosnian civil war, he gave the first 20 pages of his work to his favorite author Ralph Peters's agent, Scott Miller, in a book conference in September 2006. Miller liked the book but later did not go forward with it, saying that "it was unmarketable," according to Greaney. But he urged Greaney to write another one based from a character in Goon Squad named Court Gentry, [4] which would later be The Gray Man . After finishing this novel, Miller agreed to represent him, and later found a publisher, Jove Books. [2] [5]

The national success of The Gray Man made Greaney quit his job in the medical devices company and make the transition to becoming a full-time writer. He was later given a three-book deal by his publisher in 2009. [5] In addition, The Gray Man's success spawned an equally successful series, with eleven more sequels as of 2023: On Target (2010), Ballistic (2011), Dead Eye (2013), Back Blast (2016), [6] Gunmetal Gray (2017), [7] Agent in Place (2018), Mission Critical (2019), One Minute Out (2020), Relentless (2021), Sierra Six (2022), and Burner (2023).

The film adaptation of The Gray Man was directed by Joe and Anthony Russo for Netflix, with Ryan Gosling as Gentry and Chris Evans as nemesis Lloyd. [8]

Working with Tom Clancy

Greaney has been a fan of Tom Clancy for years and has read all of his books, beginning with Patriot Games. So when Clancy was looking for a new co-author, Greaney found out that his editor at Berkley Books, Tom Colgan was also Clancy's editor at G. P. Putnam's Sons. His editor later referred to his agent, who asked Greaney to be Clancy's co-author. Commenting on the experience, Greaney recalled: "I wish I could say I was excited, but the truth is, I was terrified. After I caught my breath, I offered to 'try out' because there were some other authors also in the running. I wrote twenty-five pages, handed them in and soon thereafter, I was in Baltimore meeting with Tom Clancy." [3] They later collaborated on Clancy's last three novels before his death in October 2013: Locked On (2012), Threat Vector (2013), and Command Authority (2013). [9]

After Clancy's death, with the backing of his family and estate, Greaney continued the Jack Ryan and The Campus Universe left behind by Clancy, and has written four more novels as of 2016: Tom Clancy: Support and Defend (2014), [10] Tom Clancy: Full Force and Effect (2014), [3] Tom Clancy: Commander in Chief (2015) and Tom Clancy: True Faith and Allegiance (2016). Regarding the publisher's decision to feature Clancy's name at the top in massive letters and having his name in smaller letters for the covers of the post-Clancy novels, Greaney commented: "It really feels like a humongous honor to do it. I get pretty good billing. The Tom Clancy name is one thing you can put on your book that will make it stand out from across the room". [11]

On 19 February 2017, Greaney announced that he will exit the Jack Ryan Universe franchise. Replacing Greaney will be novelist Marc Cameron, previously known for his Jericho Quinn series of thrillers. [12] Greaney later said of his departure from the Jack Ryan universe:

The truth is that I was afraid I was going to run out of things to do. At that point, I had done six books in five years. I had plenty of macro story ideas. Big, overall ideas. But the micro ideas, you know like, here’s a guy following someone down a street. There’s only so many ways you can tell that and keep it fresh, and I did not want to overstay my welcome in the Clancy universe. So, after six books, my editor sort of talked me into doing a seventh, and I’m really glad I did. I’m glad I wrote True Faith and Allegiance, but when that one was over, I knew it was time. [13]

Other works

Greaney's first standalone work, a military thriller titled Red Metal and co-authored with Lieutenant Colonel H. Ripley Rawlings IV, USMC, was released on 16 July 2019. The novel debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list in August 2019. This was the first time Greaney appeared in the NYT Bestseller's list twice in the same calendar year. The book is notable for its comparisons to Clancy's novel Red Storm Rising (1986), which is also his first standalone novel that deals with a large scale military conflict between NATO and Russia. [14]

In 2020, Greaney and Rawlings both announced via social media and web interviews that they had been contracted by Penguin Publishers to write the next in the Red Metal series. The release date was unspecified but was said to be sometime in 2021. Greaney's audiobook thriller Armored was released on 9 December 2021, and was adapted by Sony Pictures and producer Michael Bay. [15] [16] [17]

Personal life

Greaney continues to reside in Memphis, Tennessee with his wife Allison. [18]

Bibliography

The Gray Man series

Jack Ryan series

Featuring characters created by Tom Clancy

Standalone novels

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Ryan (character)</span> Fictional character created by author Tom Clancy

John Patrick Ryan Sr. (Hon.) is a fictional character created by author Tom Clancy and featured in his Ryanverse novels, which have consistently topped the New York Times bestseller list over 30 years. Since Clancy's death in 2013, five other authors, Mark Greaney, Grant Blackwood, Mike Maden, Marc Cameron and Don Bentley, have continued writing new novels for the franchise and its other connecting series with the approval of the Clancy family estate.

The Ryanverse is a term for the political drama media franchise created by author Tom Clancy centering on the character of Jack Ryan and the fictional universe featuring Jack and other characters, such as John Clark and Domingo Chavez.

<i>Threat Vector</i> 2012 techno-thriller novel by Tom Clancy

Threat Vector is a techno-thriller novel, written by Tom Clancy and co-written with Mark Greaney, and published on December 4, 2012. A direct sequel to Locked On (2011), President Jack Ryan and The Campus must prevent a Chinese expansionist government from enacting war in the South China Sea. The book debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list.

<i>Command Authority</i> 2013 novel by Tom Clancy

Command Authority is a techno-thriller novel, written by Tom Clancy and co-written with Mark Greaney, and published on December 3, 2013. It is Clancy's last major work of fiction and was released two months after his death. Set during the Cold War and after the events of Threat Vector (2012), the novel features President Jack Ryan and The Campus as they must deal with Russian dictator Valeri Volodin, a character widely noted as similar to real-life Russian president Vladimir Putin. The book debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list.

<i>Support and Defend</i> 2014 novel by Mark Greaney

Support and Defend is a thriller novel, written by Mark Greaney and published on July 22, 2014. The book is a spinoff from the Tom Clancy universe and features FBI agent and The Campus operative Dominic “Dom” Caruso, who is President Jack Ryan’s nephew. It is the first novel in the franchise written after Clancy’s death during the previous year, as well as Greaney’s first solo contribution to the overall series.

<i>Full Force and Effect</i>

Full Force and Effect is a political thriller, written by Mark Greaney and published on December 2, 2014. It is the fifteenth overall entry in the Jack Ryan series and the first such entry to be published after original author Tom Clancy’s death during the previous year, as well as Greaney's second solo contribution to the franchise.

The following is a complete list of books published by Tom Clancy, an American author of contemporary spy fiction and military fiction.

<i>Commander in Chief</i> (novel) 2015 novel by Mark Greaney

Commander in Chief is a political thriller novel, written by Mark Greaney and released on December 1, 2015. In the book, President Jack Ryan and The Campus must stop Russian president Valeri Volodin from launching a covert violent offensive in an effort to bring back Russia as a superpower. Commander in Chief is Greaney’s third solo entry in the Jack Ryan series, which is part of the overall Tom Clancy universe. The book debuted at number two on the New York Times bestseller list.

<i>Duty and Honor</i> (novel)

Duty and Honor is a thriller novel, written by Grant Blackwood and published on June 14, 2016. In the novel, Jack Ryan Jr. must stop a German private contractor from unleashing false flag attacks to profit from the war on terror. Duty and Honor is Blackwood’s last contribution to the Jack Ryan Jr. series, which is part of the overall Tom Clancy universe. It debuted at number four on the New York Times bestseller list.

<i>Agent in Place</i>

Agent in Place is the seventh novel by Mark Greaney, published on February 20, 2018 by Berkley Books. It is also the seventh book in the Gray Man series. The novel puts its main character Court Gentry at the forefront of the civil war in Syria, as he helps a group of expatriates take down the Syrian president's brutal regime. The book debuted at number 7 at The New York Times bestseller list.

<i>Point of Contact</i> (novel)

Point of Contact is a techno-thriller novel, written by Mike Maden and released on June 13, 2017. Set in the Tom Clancy universe, the novel depicts Jack Ryan Jr. as he helps avert a North Korean plot to crash the Asian stock market, along with his Hendley Associates colleague Paul Brown, in Singapore. Point of Contact marks Maden’s debut as the sole author of the Jack Ryan Jr. novels, succeeding Grant Blackwood. It debuted at number 3 on the New York Times bestseller list.

Mike Maden is an American novelist. He is well known for the Jack Ryan Jr. novels, which are part of the Tom Clancy universe, as well as for the Drone series of techno-thrillers.

Marc Cameron is an American novelist. He is best known for the Jack Ryan series, which is part of the Tom Clancy universe, as well as for the critically acclaimed Jericho Quinn series of action adventure novels.

<i>Power and Empire</i>

Power and Empire is a political thriller novel, written by Marc Cameron and released on November 28, 2017. Set in the Tom Clancy universe, President Jack Ryan and The Campus must prevent a secret cabal heightening the tensions between the United States and China from causing a violent coup in the Chinese government. Power and Empire is Cameron's first book in the Jack Ryan series, succeeding Mark Greaney. It debuted at number six on the New York Times bestseller list.

<i>True Faith and Allegiance</i>

True Faith and Allegiance is a political thriller, written by Mark Greaney and released on December 6, 2016. In the book, President Jack Ryan and The Campus must contain a massive intelligence breach that has been responsible for a series of terrorist attacks on American military and intelligence personnel. True Faith and Allegiance is Greaney's last book in the Jack Ryan series, which is part of the Tom Clancy universe. It debuted at number three on the New York Times bestseller list.

<i>Oath of Office</i> (novel) 2018 thriller novel

Oath of Office is a techno-thriller novel, written by Marc Cameron and published on November 27, 2018. Set in author Tom Clancy's "Ryanverse," universe, President Jack Ryan and The Campus deal with a sinister plot behind a series of protests in Iran, dubbed the Persian Spring. Oath of Office is Cameron's second book in the Jack Ryan series. The book debuted at number eight on the New York Times bestseller list.

<i>Mission Critical</i> (novel) 2019 novel by Mark Greaney

Mission Critical is the eighth novel by Mark Greaney, published on February 19, 2019. It is also the eighth book in the Gray Man series. The novel centers on efforts by the main character Court Gentry to track down a mole inside the CIA and later stop a biological attack on an international conference in Scotland. It debuted at number five on the New York Times bestseller list.

<i>Red Metal</i> 2019 military thriller novel

Red Metal is a war novel, written by Mark Greaney and Rip Rawlings and released on July 16, 2019. Set in late December 2020, it features a military conflict between NATO and Russian military forces across two continents, as the latter plots to retake a rare-earth metal mine in East Africa. Red Metal is Greaney's first stand-alone novel and is Rawlings' debut novel. The book debuted on The New York Times, USA Today and Amazon bestseller's lists.

<i>Firing Point</i> 2020 novel by Mike Maden

Firing Point is a techno-thriller novel, written by Mike Maden and released on June 9, 2020. It is his fourth and final book in the Jack Ryan Jr. series, which is part of the overall Tom Clancy universe. In the novel, Ryan investigates an old friend's death while vacationing in Barcelona, Spain. It debuted at number three on the New York Times bestseller list.

<i>One Minute Out</i> 2020 novel by Mark Greaney

One Minute Out is the ninth novel by Mark Greaney, published on February 18, 2020. It is also the ninth book in the Gray Man series. In the novel, the main character Court Gentry tracks down a global sex trafficking organization across eastern Europe. To date, One Minute Out is the only Gray Man novel to be written in the first person.

References

  1. ↑ "'The Gray Man': What You Need to Know About the Film". 12 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 Gill, Leonard (29 September 2010). "Mark Greaney: The Back Story". Memphis Flyer . Contemporary Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 6 October 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Rubinstein, Mark (9 December 2014). "Tom Clancy, 'Full Force and Effect': A Talk With Mark Greaney". HuffPost. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 Steck, Ryan (11 February 2018). "AGENT IN PLACE: A Conversation with Mark Greaney". The Real Book Spy. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  5. 1 2 Gill, Leonard (4 October 2009). "Mark Greaney: Good Aim". Memphis Flyer . Contemporary Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  6. ↑ Greaney, Mark. Back Blast. New York: Berkley Books, 2016. ISBN   9780425282793 OCLC   913572940
  7. ↑ "Synopsis - Mark Greaney". MarkGreaneyBooks.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  8. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (17 July 2020). "Netflix Commits Largest Budget So Far For 'The Gray Man'; Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans Star, AGBO'S Joe & Anthony Russo Direct Mano A Mano Espionage Thriller". Deadline. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  9. ↑ Burch, Peggy (1 December 2013). "The Gray Man returns". The Commercial Appeal . Archived from the original on 31 July 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Gillette, Felix (17 July 2014). "Support and Defend: Tom Clancy's Legacy Lives On". Bloomberg News . Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  11. ↑ Burch, Peggy (18 December 2014). "Memphis-based writer Mark Greaney keeps thrills alive in Tom Clancy universe". The Commercial Appeal . Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  12. ↑ Steck, Ryan (20 February 2017). "Exclusive: Big Changes Coming To The Tom Clancy Universe In 2017". The Real Book Spy. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  13. ↑ Steck, Ryan. "AGENT IN PLACE: A Conversation with Mark Greaney" . Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  14. ↑ Steck, Ryan (17 October 2018). "Exclusive: Mark Greaney's First Standalone Novel, Co-Authored with LtCol H. Ripley Rawlings IV, Coming July 2019". The Real Book Spy. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  15. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (20 May 2020). "Sony, Michael Bay & Erwin Stoff To Turn Mark Greaney Audible Novel 'Armored' Into Action Thriller Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  16. ↑ "Armored Audible Logo Audible Audiobook – Original recording". Amazon . Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  17. ↑ Armored (Action, Thriller), Bay Films, retrieved 20 July 2023
  18. ↑ Mayer, Karen Ott (2 July 2009). "Memphis' Mark Greaney pursues 'right idea' in first novel, lands sequels". The Commercial Appeal . Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
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