Berkley to Publish Companion Novels for Tom Clancy TV Miniseries

Posted on August 21, 1997

The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc., announced that it will publish a series of companion novels to tie in with an ABC television miniseries created by "New York Times" best-selling author Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik in partnership with BIG Entertainment, called Tom Clancy's Netforce. The first books of the series will launch during the premiere of the ABC television miniseries, expected to air in 1998.

The mass market original paperbacks, which will include adult novels, as well as young adult novels, are set in the near future where the Internet and virtual reality have melded to such a degree that people spend most of their work and leisure time online. This kind of technology proves irresistible to criminals, terrorists and anti-computer zealots. NetForce is the paramilitary organization charged with keeping order on the net. They operate online and in the "real world."

"Tom Clancy's Netforce is an exciting and timely expansion of the Tom Clancy franchise," says David Shanks, president of The Berkley Publishing Group and chief operating officer of Penguin Putnam Inc. "We are very pleased to be part of this project."

In creative agreements similar to the one with Tom Clancy, Netco Partners is working with a number of best-selling authors and media celebrities to take original concepts and turn them into entertainment products.