(CNN) -- Author John Updike, regarded as one of the greatest and most prolific writers in modern American letters, died Tuesday, his publicist said. He was 76.



John Updike won many literary awards. His books, such as "The Witches of Eastwick," were also best-sellers.



Updike passed away Tuesday morning after battling lung cancer. He lived in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts.



"He was one of our greatest writers, and he will be sorely missed," said Nicholas Latimer, vice president of publicity at Updike's publisher, Alfred A. Knopf.



Updike was a rarity among American writers: a much-esteemed, prize-winning author whose books -- including "Rabbit, Run" (1960), "Couples" (1968), "The Witches of Eastwick" (1984) and "Terrorist" (2006) -- were also best-sellers. Updike won the Pulitzer Prize twice: for "Rabbit Is Rich" (1981) and its successor, "Rabbit at Rest" (1991). iReport: Share your tributes to John Updike



The "Rabbit" series, about an angst-ridden car dealer in a town much like Updike's hometown of Shillington, Pennsylvania, spanned four novels, a novella and four decades. In the books -- which also included 1971's "Rabbit Redux" and a 2001 novella, "Rabbit Remembered" -- onetime basketball star Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom negotiates marriage, divorce, wealth and health problems, never quite understanding the larger forces shaping his life.



"Rabbit is not a character calculated to inspire affection, but he is an unflinchingly authentic specimen of American manhood, and his boorishness makes his rare moments of vulnerability and empathy that much more heartbreaking," wrote Time's Lev Grossman in naming "Rabbit, Run" to Time's "All-Time 100 Novels" list.



Updike was incredibly prolific, penning essays, reviews, short stories, poetry and memoirs. His works frequently appeared in The New Yorker, including a famed 1960 essay about Ted Williams' final game, "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu."



"No writer was more important to the soul of The New Yorker than John," said David Remnick, the editor of the magazine, in a statement. "Even though his literary career transcended any magazine -- he was obviously among the very best writers in the world -- he still loved writing for this weekly magazine, loved being part of an enterprise that he joined when he was so young.



"We adored him,"  Remnick continued. "He was, for so long, the spirit of The New Yorker and it is very hard to imagine things without him."



The magazine said that Updike had written 862 pieces for it over the years, including 327 book reviews, 170 short stories and 154 poems.



He was well-regarded in his adopted home state of Massachusetts.



"John Updike's place among America's literary greats is forever secure, as is his special place in every Red Sox fan's heart for his magnificent 'Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu,' " Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) said in a statement. "We honor his memory and his contributions, and Massachusetts today bids him a sad and wistful adieu of our own."



Updike never won a Nobel Prize, but one of his characters, Henry Bech, received one in "Bech at Bay" (1998).



His works, particularly given their sexual content, could be as divisive as they were poetic. Many critics accused him of misogyny, and others accused him of using his graceful prose to cover thin subject matter -- and Updike put out his prose by the ream.



"It seems to be easier for John Updike to stifle a yawn than to refrain from writing a book," the literary critic James Wood wrote in the London Review of Books in 2001.



But his frank discussion of sex also garnered him many readers, the cover of Time magazine (for 1968's "Couples") and a lifetime achievement Bad Sex in Writing award from Great Britain
What books did Updike write? What does he suffer from? What won the prize? What did he win? What award did John Updike win? What prize did Updike win? Name of the author of the Rabbit books? How old was John Updike when he died? What famous author died? What had Updike been suffering from? What was one book this author wrote? What prize did John Updike win? Age of Updike when he died? Updike had been suffering from what affliction? Who was titan of American letters?
"The Witches of Eastwick," lung cancer. John Updike many literary awards. Pulitzer Prize won the Pulitzer John Updike, 76. John Updike, lung cancer. "The Witches of Eastwick," twice: 76. lung cancer. John Updike,
question: What books did Updike write?, answer: "The Witches of Eastwick," | question: What does he suffer from?, answer: lung cancer. | question: What won the prize?, answer: John Updike | question: What did he win?, answer: many literary awards. | question: What award did John Updike win?, answer: Pulitzer Prize | question: What prize did Updike win?, answer: won the Pulitzer | question: Name of the author of the Rabbit books?, answer: John Updike, | question: How old was John Updike when he died?, answer: 76. | question: What famous author died?, answer: John Updike, | question: What had Updike been suffering from?, answer: lung cancer. | question: What was one book this author wrote?, answer: "The Witches of Eastwick," | question: What prize did John Updike win?, answer: twice: | question: Age of Updike when he died?, answer: 76. | question: Updike had been suffering from what affliction?, answer: lung cancer. | question: Who was titan of American letters?, answer: John Updike,