Debt of Honor: Difference between revisions

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This book is the first in a new [[Myth Arc]] [[Tom Clancy]] started writing after [[The Sum of All Fears]], in which he started trying to find new antagonists for his heroes to contend with post-Cold War.

It was succeeded by ''[[Executive Orders]]'', the second part of the myth arc.

* [[Actual Pacifist]]: Prime Minister Koga. It's partially because of this his political enemies temporarily oust him around the start of the book, because he'd screw up their own plans. {{spoiler|By the end of the book, though, he comes to accept violence, while distasteful, is reluctantly necessary to serve the cause of peace and justice, especially when American CIA officers use it rescue him from unlawful imprisonment and possibly being murdered at a later date}}.

* [[Continuity Nod]]: In the previous book, Japanese sources fed the CIA information via a Russian [[Double Agent]] that prevented a world war. Not only is this referenced, the source of the leaks that were used is met buy the CIA for the first time.

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* [[Deconstruction]]: Of [[Michael Crichton]]'s [[Rising Sun]]. Both feature similar plot lines and characters, even a few similar plot twists, but differ in regards to the question of whether Japanese and American business interests are compatible. While Crichton ~~cast~~ doubt on the topic, Clancy takes the "mutual misunderstandings of the other side make that an easy conclusion to reach" perspective.

** The time frame is a bit off, but Roger Durling's re-election is coming up soon, and it roughly coincides with how he took over after Bob Fowler resigned in the previous book.

* [[Continuity Snarl]]: A few dates are messed up, per Clancy tradition, but the more important issue happens towards the end of the book, when Jack Ryan becomes Vice President. It's stated he has to be confirmed by the Senate, when in reality he would have had to be confirmed by both houses of Congress. [[Word of God|Clancy has admitted this line was an error due to publishing demands to get the book out ASAP, and has said it should be ignored]].

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* [[Deconstruction]]: Of [[Michael Crichton]]'s [[Rising Sun]]. Both feature similar plot lines and characters, even a few similar plot twists, but differ in regards to the question of whether Japanese and American business interests are compatible. While Crichton casts doubt on the topic, Clancy takes the "mutual misunderstandings of the other side make that an easy conclusion to reach" perspective.

** And in a theme that continues from [[The Sum of All Fears]], he also deconstructs the conceit that the end of the Cold War would be better for all parties concerned, with Clancy taking extra time to explain multiple times this is dangerously naive to believe at best throughout the book.

* [[Enemy Mine]]: Despite the public resentment China and Japan still feel for one another, conspirators in both countries secretly ally for mutual gain, though China secretly hopes to welsh on the deal as soon as they get a chance.

* [[Exact Words]]: To deceive the Japanese forces into believing they've already won, the Americans get the media to report the correct amount of time it would take to get their forces back to the strength they were before. It works, because the Americans instead opt to get their forces back to the bare minimum necessary required to strike back, so [[From a Certain Point of View]] they never lied per se, they just told the truth the Japanese were expecting to hear.

* [[Feed the Mole]]: Towards the end of the book it becomes obvious Japan has a few moles in the American government undermining the US, so instead of immediately arresting them, they elect instead to use them to feed the Japanese false information, due to how complacently the Japanese regard the reliability of said moles.

* [[Kaiju Defense Force]]: Given an extremely sympathetic perspective, given their antagonist role. Most are portrayed as patriots of one sort or another, and while only a few are portrayed as having truly malicious intentions in the short and long term, most are merely motivated by their national and personal pride.