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A bit of sad news coming from our neighbors in Charm City: Noted and revered best-selling author Tom Clancy has passed away at the age of 66.

The Baltimore Sun first reported that the Baltimore-born author “died Tuesday after a brief illness at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.” Clancy, who rose to popularity from his first novel, The Hunt For Red October, was known for his meticulously constructed and technologically detailed espionage novels, most of which have been set in or around the Washington, D.C. area.

Clancy’s work is most notably defined by his series of novels based around the Jack Ryan character—a low-level CIA analyst who eventually became President of the United States in Clancy’s literary universe. Many of Clancy’s novels have been adapted to the big screen, including The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and The Sum of All Fears, and have either taken place or filmed in Washington, D.C.

Clancy’s writing became so iconic that most of his writing in recent years wasn’t even done by him, but rather licensed out to ghost writers because his name held such value among readers. A true testament to his influence and legacy.

Apart from his novels, Clancy’s brand has been equally as successful in the video game world, where franchise like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six have flourished for years. Clancy was also a part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles, of which he also served as the Vice Chairman of Community Activities and Public Affairs for the team.