The Hunt for Red October Reykjanes Ridge off Iceland. "Dallas" hears the sound of the stealth drive but does not identify it as a submarine. As tensions rise between the U.S. and Soviet fleets, the crew of "Dallas" analyzes sonar tapes of "Red October" and finally realizes that it is the sound of a new propulsion system. Meanwhile, CIA analyst and former Marine Jack Ryan, who was initially tasked to examine MI6's photographs of "Red October", finds out that the submarine's new construction variations house its stealth drive. Later putting information about Ramius's letter together with the subsequent launch of the entire Northern Fleet, Ryan
The Hunt for Red October sales qualifying the bestseller lists from mass market paperback back to hardcover, a trend that other “brand-name” authors such as Stephen King, Clive Cussler, Michael Crichton, and Danielle Steel would later follow. On April 20, 2018, "The Hunt for Red October" was included in the list of 100 most-loved books in the U.S., compiled by PBS as part of their new series and multi-platform initiative "The Great American Read". The book appeared in a fake commercial ad serving as a teaser trailer for the third season of the Netflix web television series "Stranger Things", which was released on July 16,