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Science fiction writer Frederik Pohl, who is dubbed a pioneer in the genre, has passed away. He was 93. Pohl's wife Elizabeth Hull told Associated Press on Tuesday, September 3, that her husband died in a hospital on Monday. He suffered from a respiratory problem prior to his death.

Pohl's granddaughter Emily Pohl-Weary was the first who broke the sad news. "Rest in peace to my beloved grandfather Frederik Pohl who showed me by example how to be an author. 1919-2013," she wrote on Twitter. The author's passing is also announced on his official site. "We're teary and shell-shocked right now, but we'll have more news soon," the announcement reads.

Friends describe Pohl, who was born in New York City, as an avid reader who loved reading Leo Tolstoy's works. Although he dropped out from high school, he dreamed of becoming a science fiction writer. He started his career in 1937 after selling his poem "Elegy to a Dead Satellite: Luna" to Amazing Stories magazine. Besides writing, he edited some magazines and books. Pohl was also a literary agent who represented Isaac Asimov, Algis Budrys, Hal Clement, Fritz Leiber and John Wyndham.

Pohl wrote more than 40 novels throughout his career. "The Space Merchants", which he wrote in 1950s with Cyril M. Kornbluth, and 1978's "Gateway" probably are two of his most popular works.

Pohl's wife of 29 years, who is English professor emerita of William Rainey Harper College, said that the writer's remains would be cremated. In addition to his wife, Pohl is survived by a son, three daughters and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.