Covert One: The Hades Factor, a book co-written with Gayle Lynds, was originally conceived as a mini-series the book evolved from a short treatment Ludlum wrote for NBC. Many of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. From that point of view, yes, I guess, I am theatrical." I think it's all suspense and what-happens-next.
He once remarked: "I equate suspense and good theater in a very similar way. His theatrical experience may have contributed to his understanding of the energy, escapism and action that the public wanted in a novel. From 1960 to 1970, he managed and produced shows at the Playhouse on the Mall at Bergen Mall in Paramus, New Jersey. In the 1950s, he produced shows at the Grant Lee theater in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Prior to becoming an author, he had been a United States Marine, a theatrical actor and producer. After becoming an author later in life, Ludlum would set his mystery novel Matlock Paper at the fictitious Carlyle University in Connecticut, a thinly disguised Wesleyan. While at Wesleyan, Ludlum joined the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. He was educated at The Rectory School then Cheshire Academy and Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where he earned a B.A. Ludlum was born in New York City, the son of Margaret (née Wadsworth) and George Hartford Ludlum. The Bourne series, starring Matt Damon, has been very successful commercially and critically, despite departing significantly from the source material.Life and career Early life and education Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Bourne Supremacy. Both premises, once derided as being fictional, are now accepted as fact.
He popularized the notion of American and Soviet intelligence operatives working together, and the CIA conducting illegal operations on American soil. However, it was Ludlum who first wrote the thriller in the modern style that we know today, setting the stage for writers such as David Morrell and Gayle Lynds. Critics dislike his use of italics, short sentences, exclamation marks, dashes and other techniques, and found fault with his abundant melodrama, simplistic characters and limited psychological development. With the exception of occasional gaps in his knowledge of firearms, his novels are meticulously researched, replete with technical, physical and biological details, including research on amnesia for The Bourne Identity.ĭespite his success, Ludlum has never received the acclaim found by other writers of the genre, such as John Le Carre. Ludlum's vision of the world is one where global corporations, shadowy military forces and government organizations conspire to undermine the status quo. His stories typically feature one man or a small group of individuals up against powerful adversaries capable of using political and economic machinery in frightening ways. He once remarked: "I equate suspense and good theatre in a very similar way. Ludlum was once a theatrical actor and producer, and showed an intimate understanding of the energy, escapism and action that the public wanted to see in a novel. This is a testament to his continued popularity. He passed away in 2001, allegedly leaving behind several unpublished manuscripts and rough outlines, which continue to be dusted off and published with the help of ghostwriters. There are more than 210 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into 32 languages. Robert Ludlum (New York City - MaNaples, Florida) was an American author of 29 thriller novels.