Novelist Paul Auster dies at 77

Paul Auster, the prolific author known for 'The New York Trilogy,' passed away at his Brooklyn home due to complications from lung cancer.

Born in neighboring New Jersey, Auster became a literary icon in the Big Apple during the 1980s thanks to works set in the city, with which he attempted to give a philosophical twist to the crime genre. His novels, often existentialist, were also very popular in Europe.

Auster also wrote the screenplay for the film Smoke, which portrayed the lost souls who frequent a Brooklyn tobacco shop. Other of his notable creations are Moon Palace, The Book of Illusions and The Brooklyn Follies.

The popular New York novelist was 77 years old and his wife first reported last year that he had been diagnosed with the disease.