Not the news horror fans wanted on Friday the 13th for sure, but the man responsible for creating the greatest horror story of the 20th century has passed away. William Peter Blatty died last night in a hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, according to his wife of 33 years Julia Alicia Blatty, who confirmed to CNN. He was 89.

The acclaimed writer, director, and screenwriter died of multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. William Friedkin, who directed the film version if Blatty’s most infamous work, The Exorcist, posted the news to his Twitter account.