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[UbiSoftologist]

Source: TeamXbox http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/7446/Splinter-Cell-Book-Becomes-a-Bestseller/

Ubisoft has announced that the book Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell has hit the New York Times' Top 10 bestseller list for paperback fiction. The novel, which was just published this past December, is the first of a series inspired by Ubisoft's video game franchise Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. The book's success reinforces the impact and value of the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell brand both within and outside of the video game industry, an asset from which Ubisoft will continue to benefit in the near future.

The brand is an original creation developed by the company's Montreal studio. It recounts the adventures of Sam Fisher, an operative for Third Echelon, a secret branch of the American National Security Agency. The book is also ranked 8th among the Wall Street Journal bestsellers in the category "mass market paperbacks".

Ubisoft and a major motion picture studio located in Hollywood are currently discussing a possible movie rights deal that would adapt the adventures of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell for the big screen.

The first two games published by Ubisoft - Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow - have sold 9.7 million copies to date. The highly anticipated third opus, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, will be available this March on Xbox, PS2, GameCube and PC.

 

[Drensch]

Tom Clancy's

There's your explanation.

 

[explodet]

:lol
Yeah, I was just about to say.

It could be Tom Clancy's Bedtime Stories or Tom Clancy's Cheesecake Recipes and it would be a bestseller.

 

[Guns N' Poops]

So the game came before the book?

 

[explodet]

Oh, and for the record, Tom Clancy didn't write this book.
(at least, not according to Amazon)

 

[bitwise]

hah, i saw this in the grocery store ther day. no it isnt written by clancy, but his name is on the cover.

 

[UbiSoftologist]

:lol
Yeah, I was just about to say.

It could be Tom Clancy's Bedtime Stories or Tom Clancy's Cheesecake Recipes and it would be a bestseller.

''Sam Fisher'' is why I am going to buy the book.

BTW, this is the book cover:

 

[bitwise]

the cover i saw in the store was different, it had sam fisher on it.

 

[UbiSoftologist]

Oh, and for the record, Tom Clancy didn't write this book.
(at least, not according to Amazon)

Created by Tom Clancy, written by David Michaels, starring Sam Fisher

 

[Stele]

Oh, and for the record, Tom Clancy didn't write this book.
(at least, not according to Amazon)

It's better that way. I can't stand redneck drivel.

 

[Drensch]

I love how you can barely tell who actually wrote it.

 

[explodet]

starring Sam Fisher

Yeah, don't get me wrong, I got nothing against Sam.

 

[Andy787]

I love how they make Tom Clancy games that Tom Clancy has nothing to do with, then they make a Splinter Cell novel called fucking Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, and it isn't even written by Tom Clancy. How is it even legal to publish a book called Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and then have it not be written by or have anything to do with Tom Clancy? (And yes, I know how, I'm just pointing out how rediculous it is)

 

[UbiSoftologist]

Some interesting comments by Amazon.com reviewers:

1) Praise

Leave it to Tom Clancy to show the world exactly what countries SHOULD be doing. Splinter Cell combines realism, action, some pretty cool stuff like martial arts and technology, but more importantly it has that James Bond techno-geek appeal. The main character will remind you of Gabriel Allon from Daniel Silva' books, or just imagine Jason Bourne for real. My only complaint is that the writing sometimes switched between first person and third person when it moved between people. I'd preferred it stayed the same throughout, perhaps better third person.

Overall this is a great book. If you've ever gotten pissed off about terrorism and wish somebody would do something about it: READ THIS BOOK! I hope somebody in Washington reads this book SOON!

This book was a great read. It was written in first person; from Sam Fisher's point of view, which I found unusual, however after I got used to it the book was great.

The information in the book looked very detailed and accurate. The action sequences were quite thoroughly written and even though the book used alot of abstract names for people, locations, weapons and equipment (which I personally found difficult to remember), the storyline was still easy to follow.

The end of the book was very exciting and satisfying.

As a fan of the Splinter Cell games I bought this book as an 'impulse buy' and was not disappointed. If you are looking for an interesting spy book, or are a fan of Splinter Cell, pick this one up.

2) Criticism

Only a middle schooler could love this book. Only a middle schooler could read this book. Only a middle schooler could possibly have written this book. (My apologies to middle schoolers everywhere!)

Tom Clancy is a great story teller, but will never be accused of being a great writer. That being said, there's no way Tom Clancy ever read this book, let alone wrote any of it. If he had read it he wouldn't have willingly put his name on it.

Save your money and buy a Nelson Demille novel!

This book is all right. At first I had a hard time getting used to the writing style, it's very short and choppy. "I did this. I did that. I drove here." Gets pretty boring, however, if you've played the Splinter Cell games, that's almost how the character of Sam Fisher is. The book really shines in the sections that are written in third person, there is some really quality descriptions in those sections of the book, and you can vividly picture the action in your head.

Unfortunately though, the book is written as if you have zero knowledge of the Splinter Cell universe. Don't be fooled by the Tom Clancy name on the cover, though, because it's not as good as a classic Clancy book, too short, too choppy, and there are some serious deviations from accepted Splinter Cell canon.

 

[Stele]

I love how they make Tom Clancy games that Tom Clancy has nothing to do with, then they make a Splinter Cell novel called fucking Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, and it isn't even written by Tom Clancy. How is it even legal to publish a book called Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and then have it not be written by or have anything to do with Tom Clancy? (And yes, I know how, I'm just pointing out how rediculous it is)

Clancy has been doing it for years with Op-Center and Net Force. And, yes, in case you're wondering, I did read some of those. My brain cried.

 

[Kiriku]

I don't get it, exactly what did Tom Clancy "create" for this book? The settings, the characters? So in essence, this is like a fan fiction!?

 

[nitewulf]

happens all the time, robert ludlum's covert one series for example. ludlum died in 98. and yes, i read one of the novels. no. not good.