E L Doctorow, the respected historical novelist, has died aged 84.
He died following complications from lung cancer, his son told The New York Times.
Doctorow was considered one of the most respected and critically-acclaimed authors of historical fiction, having written 12 novels and a handful of short stories and plays.
He also contributed to publications such as The New York Review of Books, The Nation, the New York Times and New York.
Tributes from the literary world have poured in for the author, and President Obama even tweeted his condolences upon hearing the news.
E.L. Doctorow was one of America's greatest novelists. His books taught me much, and he will be missed.
— President Obama (@POTUS) July 22, 2015
Very sad to hear that oldpal writer #ELDoctorow has died. Lovely person, pivotal USA writer... always kind and funny.
— Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) July 22, 2015
Oh man, RIP EL Doctorow. http://t.co/SGZhVZy3oT
— Sarah Weinman (@sarahw) July 22, 2015
Doctorow was the author of a number of historical novels, most notably 1975’s Ragtime, which followed three families over the course of the early 20th century as they interacted with famous Americans.
It was included on a list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century by the Modern Library in 1999.
