Books Like The Hunt for Red October
The Hunt for Red October, which was published in 1984, launched the career of Tom Clancy and was also the debut of his most popular character, Jack Ryan. The novel was instrumental in making the techno-thriller genre more mainstream and has received a movie adaptation as well as several computer and video games. The story features a Soviet Navy submarine commander attempting to defect to the United States with a ballistic missile submarine featuring a cutting-edge silent propulsion system. Although the Hunt for Red October is one of the most-loved books in the US, it is not the only novel where a submarine is central to the plot. For more stories where underwater crafts take the spotlight try out these books like The Hunt For Red October.
The Dragon in the Sea
by Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert is best known for his Dune series of novels, but he also wrote The Dragon in the Sea, which was published as a standalone novel in 1956. The story is set in the near future where a war between the East and West has caused a scarcity of resources. One of the tactics used by the West is to use specialized nuclear submarines to sneak into the underwater oil fields of the East and steal the oil. The book portrays the psychological toll that these dangerous missions demand from the crews of the submarines. Things become worse when the missions begin failing and the West attempts to track down the sleeper agents who they believe are responsible for the sabotage.
Nimitz Class
by Patrick Robinson
Nimitz Class is a 1997 naval thriller by Patrick Robinson which is very similar stylistically to The Hunt for Red October. The novel is set in the aftermath of the greatest peacetime disaster in US history. The US Nimitz-class Aircraft Carrier Thomas Jefferson was thought to be the most powerful nuclear-powered warship in the world, so it comes as a huge shock to everyone when it is destroyed. Intel points to a rogue ex-Soviet submarine, which causes tensions to rise. Nobody knows how the submarine managed to get within striking range of the Thomas Jefferson and where it will strike again. This results in a deadly chase as one of the victims' brothers seeks revenge against the killers.
Voyage of the Devilfish
by Michael DiMercurio
Voyage of the Devilfish by Micael DiMercurio features a deadly game of underwater cat and mouse between two opposing sides. On the Soviet side is the Kaliningrad under the command of Admiral Alexi Novskoyy. His vessel is the last great triumph of Soviet submarine technology and he is not afraid to use it to turn back the clock to the Cold War. On the opposite side is the killer chase sub, USS Devilfish, which is captained by a veteran of the American fleet, Commander Michael Pacino. He is under strict orders to hunt down and destroy the Kaliningrad, which is lurking beneath the polar ice cap, but Pacino also has a very personal score to settle with Novskoyy.
Goliath
by Steve Alten
Goliath by Steve Alten is the story of terrorism, acts of oppression, and the threat of nuclear war. Commander Rochelle "Rocky" Jackson barely survives an attack on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan when its entire fleet is attacked from the depths and sunk. To her shock, the aggressor appears to be The Goliath - a nuclear submarine that Rocky herself helped to design a decade ago as part of a top-secret department of defense project. Rocky thought that the project was canceled when her former fiance, a US Army Ranger named Gunnar Wolfe destroyed the schematics, but soon learns that the plans were secretly sold to the Chinese. However, after the Chinese constructed the $8 billion warship it was hijacked by a crew determined to rid the world of oppressive governments while forcing humanity to disarm.
Deep Sound Channel
by Joe Buff
Deep Sound Channel by Joe Buff takes place in an alternate timeline where a reactionary coup in South Africa established a military government. When they begin sinking US. and British merchant ships it prompts NATO to respond. As events escalate the South Atlantic is turned into a battleground. The help of Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey Fuller and his crew are called in thanks to the stealth capabilities of his nuclear submarine. Their mission is to infiltrate and attack a compound in South Africa where scientists are in the process of putting together a biological weapon that could cause global devastation.
Rogue Avenger
by John R. Monteith
Rogue Avenger is the first book in the long-running Rogue Submarine series by John R. Monteith. The author served aboard a nuclear ballistic missile submarine and as a top-rated instruction of combat tactics, which lends an air of authenticity to his writing. Rogue Avenger sees a naval officer named Jake going rogue when he is betrayed by his own people and set up to be a sacrificial lamb to cover up an officer's secrets. Jack gets a shot at revenge when an international arms dealer recruits him to steal a ballistic missile submarine, the USS Colorado, and sell its nuclear warheads. The only question is, will jack choose patriotism or revenge?
By Dawn's Early Light
by David Hagberg
David Hagberg's novel, by Dawn's Early Light, sees the world on the brink of war after a United States spy satellite becomes inoperative and Pakistan seizing the opportunity to announce their presence as a nuclear threat. The only people who know about the plan to attack India is a CIA insertion team headed by a former Navy SEAL who also happens to be the President's brother. Unfortunately, while their knowledge may prevent a nuclear holocaust, the team has been captured and tortured. The last hope of getting them back is Commander Frank Dillon Jr, and his nuclear sub, Seawolf. Dillon is sent out with a team of SEALs to retrieve the captured insertion team and bring them back safely, but this is a mission that is easier said than done.
