74 books like Tom Clancy's Net Force

This book is the book that made me decide to become an author. I was always a voracious reader and crazy about all things technological—space exploration, airplanes, naval warfare, you name it. In my mind, there was no way anyone would want to read a book about my interests—until Tom Clancy showed it absolutely could be done and singlehandedly created a new genre of fiction with one book.

His research was so accurate that he was accused of spilling classified information about our submarine capabilities and tactics. But no, he was just an insurance agent from Owings, Maryland, who touched a 220-volt wire in my soul that made me decide, “Someday I’m going to do that, too!”

This is the spy thriller that started it all! I was a huge fan of the Matt Damon trilogy and had always been an avid reader, so naturally, I gravitated toward the original novel, which was far better than the film.

Popular action thrillers tend to suffer from one of two diseases: “soldier syndrome,”—meaning the author knows what he or she is writing about but isn’t a master of the language—or from “poser-itis,” which is when the writer is good with a pen but would be too scared to use it to gauge out an eye if he or she had to.

So it’s a rare wordsmith who can understand the deepest, most primal parts of the human psyche and then put it into a literary form that delights the eyes and ears. Ludlum is one such writer.

This book by Tom Clancy has the distinction of being the author’s only book focusing on the origin story of a “secondary” (or recurring) character throughout his Jack Ryan series of novels. That secondary character, who becomes John Clark, is former Navy Seal John Kelly.

While this novel isn’t as integrally plotted as the Jack Ryan “techno-thrillers,” it is more character-driven than Clancy’s previous works. In light of the character’s stoic history (or, with this being a “prequel” of sorts, the character’s future), I think it was probably a bit difficult to write in terms of balancing the character’s emotions. 

I found this to be a fascinating study. The emotive aspects of a character who is typical of a “John Wayne,” black or white, good or bad temperament, are not easily understood or conveyed to readers unfamiliar with historically traditional roles of masculinity. Or, to put it another way, the… show more.

In this novel, the US president needs a campaign issue, so he makes the Columbian cartels a “clear and present danger” and sends covert forces into that country.

I love that Clancy shows me two worlds that I don’t really know: the powerful American politicians who will do anything to stay in power and the inside workings of the Columbian cartels who deeply care about their families.

Published in 1989, Clancy dared to show US politicians eagerly using our military in covert missions to further their own political agenda and that they would also readily sacrifice those troops if it suited their political needs. In this way, he broke the glass ceiling that would later be followed by Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, and others. 

The ultimate thrill ride from start to finish, Jack Carr’s first novel following Navy Seal Commander James Reece is one to remember. I bought this book at the airport in Anaheim, California, and started reading while waiting for my flight. A few delays and a five-hour flight later I had finished the entire book. It is a fantastically written book, laced with complex characters, government, and corporate conspiracies, and reminds us all why you must always be wary of those closest to us.

In the fight against the War on Terror, many Americans have long forgotten the war that never stopped raging against an enemy that is better funded than many of our governmental organizations, is not bound by any laws or treaties, has a virtually unlimited supply of money, weapons, and soldiers, and is located just south of our borders. 

Patriot Games is an oldie but goody, a fictional novel that sheds light on the realistic way in which our War on Drugs encompasses Special Operations troops working hand in hand with intelligence agencies and law enforcement. I have friends who have fought directly in these drug wars, and who have told me the enemy had all of their names and personal information before they even landed south of the border for their deployments. The War on Drugs is savage and is still raging very close to home, yet we rarely hear… show more.

This is the brass ring of Cold War turns Hot military fiction. I loved what Tom Clancy put down on paper back in 1986 and truly believe that without this book, none of the others on this list would have been written. I loved the depth and detail that Clancy digs into with regard to operational planning as well as tactical combat operations. 

I can’t compliment him enough on his easy explanation of complex systems and operations. If you like “rivet counting” this book is going to blow your mind. As a former Russian linguist for the Navy, I’m impressed with Clancy’s understanding of Soviet politics and strategy. As a self taught civilian, he knocks it out of the park.

I love how Micheal A. Palmer extends his vision of World War III to multiple theaters of war. Whereas other Cold War Turns Hot Military Fiction tends to focus on the Soviets Invading West Germany, Palmer spends considerable time in NATO's Northern Flank, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific theater. 

I really enjoyed this book because if focused specifically on the battles and not as much on individual characters. Don’t get me wrong, I love good character-driven stories, but it really feels like Palmer recognizes his strengths and plays to them. If you love war-gaming as much as I do, you’re going to fall in love with this book.

When writing Alternate History, authors are often challenged between world-building and character-building. It is difficult to do both well. Colin Salt’s novel approach (and I don’t know if that pun was intended or not, TBH) pays off well, where he clearly divides his book into a deep character dive, with a sprinkling of world-building, followed by a riveting war thriller.

I found the sub-title a bit dubious, but this book really is about love, mystery, and war, and each aspect is well told. In my experience, that combination is very rare. Most authors who can write a badass battle scene tend to embarrass themselves when they try to incorporate a true love story. But Colin easily slides between the two. The Mystery was fun, and I 100% didn’t see it coming.

I really enjoyed how Bart Gauvin and Joel Radunzel were able to collaborate in this “Video Game to Novel” adventure. Bart is an amazing scenario designer for “Command: Modern Operations,” a fantastic computer war game, so when he teamed up with Joel, it was a dream come true. 

I love how many of the battles in the book can be played as scenarios in the game (Including a major air battle over Northern Norway!). It’s a unique experience that I haven’t run into before, and it’s a lot of fun. Even outside of the video game, the story is well put together. I love the depth of the characters and their relationships. I was especially appreciative of the slow burn of the buildup to the action.