" The Sum of All Fears " is primarily known as a 1991 political thriller novel by Tom Clancy and its 2002 film adaptation starring Ben Affleck. The story follows CIA analyst Jack Ryan as he attempts to prevent a nuclear war between the United States and Russia triggered by a terrorist-detonated weapon on American soil.
: Starring Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan and Morgan Freeman as CIA Director William Cabot. Key Differences Between Media Novel (1991) Film (2002) Jack Ryan's Role Deputy Director of the CIA Junior CIA Analyst Terrorist Identity Arab Nationalists & Marxists Blast Location Denver, Colorado Baltimore, Maryland Ryan's Personal Life Married with children Just beginning to date Cathy Muller The Sum of All Fears
The title itself refers to the "summing" of various geopolitical and personal anxieties—chiefly the threat of mutually assured destruction —that could lead to global catastrophe. " The Sum of All Fears " is
: The terrorists refurbish the weapon into a thermonuclear device and detonate it during the Super Bowl in Denver, Colorado. Key Differences Between Media Novel (1991) Film (2002)
Published just before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the novel explores the fragile peace of the post-Cold War era.
: A lost Israeli nuclear weapon from the 1973 Yom Kippur War is recovered by a disparate group of terrorists (including Arab nationalists and East German Marxists).