E.L. Doctorow, Master of Historical Fiction, Dies at 84

E.L. Doctorow, the celebrated American author of historical novels including Ragtime and The March, died on Tuesday in New York City. He was 84.

Doctorow’s son, Richard, said the cause of death was complications from lung cancer, the New York Times reports.

Published in 1975, Ragtime followed three families over the course of the early 20th century as they lived their daily lives, often interacting briefly with famous Americans.

It was included on a list of 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century by the Modern Library in 1999 and on a list of the 100 greatest English-language novels since 1923 by TIME magazine in 2010.

Read more at the Times.