John le Carré, mold-breaking spy novelist, dies at 89

John le Carré, the prolific British spy thriller novelist, died Sunday in Cornwall, England, of pneumonia, his family and literary agency confirmed. He was 89.

Le Carré, whose birth name was David Cornwell, "elevated the spy novel to high art," The New York Times writes, thanks to his penchant for "presenting both Western and Soviet spies as morally compromised cogs in a rotten system." Le Carré worked as an intelligence officer in the British foreign service before turning to writing full-time, and his novels, many of which were set during the Cold War, are known for their intricate plots and realistic protagonists.

Several of le Carré's most famous titles were adapted for the screen, including The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, which Graham Greene called "the best spy story I have ever read," The Night Manager, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. In 2016, despite a disinterest in publicity, The Guardian notes, le Carré surprised his fans by publishing a memoir, The Pigeon Tunnel.

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In the wake of his death Sunday, many notable literary figures paid tribute to le Carré. Read more at The New York Times and The Guardian.